Septième Sonate

Lachert’s Septième Sonate (Seventh Sonata) is a four-movement sonata for solo piano, composed in 1994 and dedicated to Mireille Gleizes​.

Lasting about 13 minutes​, this work is one of Lachert’s series of piano sonatas and is noted for its eclectic blend of traditional form and unusual thematic material. (In some sources it carries the nickname “Fiamminga” – Italian for “Flemish” – alluding to the composer’s connection with Flanders.)

The Septième Sonate follows a classical four-movement layout but with a decidedly postmodern twist in each movement’s character. According to the publisher’s notes, the first movement is a “classic allegro,” firmly rooted in the grand sonata tradition​– likely fast-paced and formally structured (possibly in sonata-allegro form).

The second movement takes a humorous turn: it “is a blending of ‘Happy Birthday’ and Mendelssohn’s Wedding March,” directly quoting these famous melodies in a clever pastiche​. This unexpected fusion of a birthday song and a wedding processional lends a tongue-in-cheek, celebratory tone to the movement, showcasing Lachert’s playful quotation technique.

The third movement is described as being “like a drunk revelry”​.

Through these contrasting movements, Lachert juxtaposes virtuosity, humor, and introspection, embodying a postmodern eclectic style. The work frequently shifts tone – from the serious and brisk opening, to comedic quotation, to wild abandon, and finally to a curious, perhaps introspective finale – keeping the listener engaged through surprise and variety.

As a solo piano sonata, Septième Sonate demands a wide range of pianistic technique. The virtuosic passages in the first and last movements test the performer’s agility and control, while the middle movements require a sense of theater and timing to bring out the comedic and rhapsodic elements. Lachert’s writing likely includes tonal centers (especially obvious in the quoted tunes of the second movement) mixed with more dissonant or unconventional harmonies in the wilder sections, reflecting his “New Consonant” ethos of mixing tonal richness with modern idioms​.

Polyphonic textures might appear, as suggested by his general style, but clarity and wit seem to be paramount here. Notably, the insertion of recognizable melodies (Happy Birthday, Wedding March) amidst original material creates a form of musical collage, a technique Lachert employs to provoke an interplay between popular culture and classical form.