Sonata 29

Sonata 29 is a four-movement work for solo piano, composed in 2008 by Piotr Lachert. It stands as the final installment in his extensive cycle of piano sonatas—twenty-nine in total—representing a culminating statement of his lifelong engagement with the form. Despite its numerical position, the piece is relatively brief, typically lasting around ten minutes.

The sonata reflects Lachert’s mature compositional voice, firmly rooted in the aesthetic he termed “New Consonant Music.” By this stage in his career, Lachert had fully refined this approach, which seeks to reconcile contemporary musical techniques with a tonal language that remains accessible and inviting to listeners.

This sonata perfectly depicts the current Lachert’s style: long monochromic ranges, rhythmic simplicity and polyphony. These descriptors outline a musical language marked by extended passages of uniform texture or harmony (the “monochromic ranges”), a clear and often understated rhythmic drive, and intricate polyphonic writing. Rather than embracing dense or dissonant modernist idioms, Lachert prioritizes clarity of line, contrapuntal interplay, and a subtle harmonic palette. His textures are frequently transparent, his melodies chant-like or motivic, and his harmonic language remains consonant or only mildly dissonant. The result is music that balances formal rigor with emotional accessibility—intellectually satisfying in its contrapuntal finesse, yet also immediately engaging due to its tonal warmth and rhythmic coherence. The hypnotic continuity within movements, created by sustaining certain textures or moods, is gently animated by a pulse that remains engaging without being intrusive.

As the final piano sonata Lachert composed, Sonata 29 occupies a special place in his output. It distills many of the techniques and aesthetic goals that defined his compositional journey: concision, clarity, contrapuntal sophistication, and tonal richness. Far from being a summary of earlier styles, it reflects a refined synthesis of tradition and innovation. Performers have noted the deceptive simplicity of the score—what appears to be straightforward, with flowing lines and steady rhythms, actually requires great control, nuance, and maturity to perform effectively. The virtuosity demanded is subtle and articulate, not showy or overtly dramatic, in keeping with Lachert’s understated elegance.

Since its publication, Sonata 29 has been championed by interpreters of Lachert’s work. Pianist Mireille Gleizes, in particular, has played a key role in bringing the piece to public attention through recordings and performances. Critical reception has acknowledged the sonata as a definitive example of Lachert’s late style: accessible yet sophisticated, emotionally resonant yet formally concise. Though modest in duration, Sonata 29 makes a lasting impression, serving as a fitting and eloquent conclusion to the composer’s sonata cycle and a distinctive contribution to the contemporary piano repertoire.