Wayne Alpern | Alchemy Review

by Illiam Sebitz

Wayne Alpern’s Alchemy, his twelfth release, is a vivid exploration of transformation. This is an album that treats musical history as a point of inheritance for material to be reshaped with elements of the music leading to now. Across a series of compact works for woodwind quintet, Alpern reimagines established forms and idioms such as ragtime, Baroque counterpoint, folk dance, and minimalism. He transforms through a contemporary language rich in rhythmic vitality and harmonic color. The result is a musical transmutation of familiar styles dissolved and recombined into a chamber idiom that is at once referential and unmistakably new.

At the heart of Alchemy lies Alpern’s fascination with inherited forms. These forms, although historic, are not constraints, but points of grounding for establishing a clear departure. In “Stomp,” early ragtime is recast as chamber conversation, its steady staccato pulse evoking the percussive drive of a pianist’s left hand while the upper winds dart through the texture with quicksilver flourishes. The effect is unmistakably cinematic, recalling the elastic timing of silent-film comedy.  Beneath the surface lies a Haydnesque wit in the way Alpern handles the cadential expectations with gentle subversions, and surprising harmonic turns landing like well-timed punchlines.

A similar spirit of transformation governs “Invention,” where a light, poised subject introduced by the oboe unfolds in lucid counterpoint across the ensemble. Alpern preserves the linear logic of Bach while enriching the counterpoint with modern harmonic color, with upper extensions treated as stable sonorities. The use of rhythmic inflections that lend the music a modern elasticity without compromising its structural clarity is another pillar of Alpern’s style.

Elsewhere, Alpern engages more directly with vernacular and folk traditions. “Burlesca,” inspired by Bartók, channels a grounded, dance-like energy shaped by repeating rhythmic cells and a firmly articulated pulse. Its folk-like melodic simplicity is direct, memorable, and has a timbre that is ancient in contour. The theme is continually reimagined through evolving harmonic color and textural expansion, moving fluidly between sparse gestures and dense contrapuntal interplay. The playfulness here is less overt than in “Stomp,” emerging instead through stylized exaggeration and a sense of ritualized motion, creating music that feels embodied, as if rooted in collective memory threaded through generations.

The album’s engagement with more recent musical language comes into focus in “Capriccio,” where Alpern draws on minimalist principles while reshaping them through a more flexible, ensemble-driven approach. A compact four-note figure establishes a steady groove that evolves through subtle variation, its repetitions accumulating energy through gradual layering rather than rigid process. While echoes of Reich are evident in the interlocking patterns, particularly in the interplay between bassoon and horn, the music resists stasis, opening into passages of fluid counterpoint and shifting harmonic color. The result is a form of minimalism infused with forward momentum and expressive nuance, culminating in a controlled yet exhilarating final cadence.

Demonstrating Alpern’s technical command to elicit emotion, “Elegy” reveals the emotional depth underlying the album’s concept. Opening with a calm, chorale-like progression in the minor mode, the piece establishes a space of introspection that gradually expands into a richer contrapuntal texture. The ensemble functions first as a unified voice, then as a network of individual lines, building toward a climactic moment of collective tension before receding into stillness except a solitary oboe. The oboe line emerges as a lament, drawing the ensemble back into a transformed chorale. The final shift into the final major chord is a resolution of rebalancing, a closing gesture that suggests endurance rather than closure.

Central to the success of Alchemy is the performance by Imani Winds, whose versatility and precision allow Alpern’s stylistic transformations to register with striking clarity. The ensemble navigates rapid shifts between idioms of ragtime buoyancy, Bachian counterpoint, Bartók-inflected attack, and minimalist propulsion, which is remarkably fluent. Their control of texture is especially impressive in clearly articulated contrapuntal lines, rhythmic passages carry a percussive clarity without losing tonal warmth, and moments of collective expression, particularly in “Elegy,” achieve a sense of unity that is deeply felt.

In Alchemy, Wayne Alpern achieves a rare balance between intellectual design and immediate musical appeal, transforming historical forms with new harmonic and rhythmic possibilities. Each piece functions as a distinct act of stylistic transmutation, letting the album unfold as a cohesive whole, guided by a composer attuned equally to structure, color, and expressive resonance. In collaboration with Imani Winds, Alpern situates himself within a contemporary chamber tradition that embraces plurality. This is where Bach, Bartók, jazz, and minimalism coexist, references that inspire the imagination of living materials in an ongoing process of reinvention.

Artist: Wayne Alpernn
Album: Alchemy
Label: Henri Elkan Music

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Release Date: December 19, 2025

About the author

Illiam Sebitz

Born and raised in a picturesque European village, my fondness for music began during my formative years, when the charismatic tones of the recorder first filled the halls of my primary school. This early fascination escalated into my lifelong pursuit of embracing the melodious charm of the flute; I have even spent time refining my skills at a music conservatoire. As a seasoned music connoisseur, I find myself captivated by the multifaceted world of music. I enjoy writing music reviews to better enable me to explore genres as diverse as world, rock, jazz, classical, folk, and film music, each offering a unique auditory journey that enriches my life and intellect.

In my spare moments, you'll likely find me meticulously crafting my latest woodworking project, sharpening my skills with flute etudes, or inventing tales of fantasy through the art of creative writing. My eclectic interests and expertise harmonize to create a symphony of passion and curiosity that resonates within every aspect of my life as a music enthusiast.