Praise for Sun Dance
"Sundance" shone brightly in its world premiere this summer...The Waltons recognize Peltier's as a story substantial enough to merit a serious presentation in a highbrow musical genre not exactly famous for its commitment to social consciousness. For taking that leap, for bravely pushing the boundaries of opera, the Waltons deserve a standing ovation..."Sundance" announces the arrival of a new voice in modern music, one not afraid to speak hard truths about politics and social issues...Matt Walton's music - and especially the way he arranged it for his small orchestra - demonstrated meticulous attention to detail, tone and variation...Walton's forte appears to be chorale pieces, in which he deftly complements the lyrics with oddly-voiced, but wholly satisfying, harmonies. The chorales that conclude each act resounded with passion, defiance and confidence, eliciting enthusiastic audience response.
— Russ Tarby, Syracuse City Eagle, September 22 to 28, 2005
The triumph of Sundance, a new and distinctively American opera with music by Matthew J. Walton and libretto by Leonard Walton, is that the expertise in other areas of its composer, an honors graduate in Music Composition who also holds an MA in Political Science from Syracuse University, has created something relatively new, educational, incredibly moving, and emotionally powerful - all within a familiar and traditional format. The music integrated very well with the performers, and the words of the libretto, which are words that were actually spoken or written at one point in history and raised to art by Leonard Walton, brought enunciation and clarity to the music's occasional instrumental complexity.
— Jude Nagurney Camwell, blogcritics.org, July 12, 2005
The opera's plot traces the sufferings of Peltier and the Pine Ridge Indians, while the music displays Walton's talent as a vocal composer. In a performance heard last summer, his chorales were skillfully voiced, making the conflict and dissonances embedded in the music sound harmonious.
— Anna Reguero, Goldring Arts Journal, September 18, 2005
Lenny adds strong emotional elements to the libretto by using the actual words from events and trial manuscripts, complementing them with projections of photos from Wounded Knee and the 1969-1971 Alcatraz occupation. The singers' voices, the opera's scenery and lighting, and Matt's direction of the chamber ensemble created a powerful performance that works effectively to tell the story to audiences new to this part of history. Follow-up panel discussions are an integral part of the educational nature of the work.
— Donna Muhs McCarten, Syracuse Peace Newsletter, September 2005
— Russ Tarby, Syracuse City Eagle, September 22 to 28, 2005
The triumph of Sundance, a new and distinctively American opera with music by Matthew J. Walton and libretto by Leonard Walton, is that the expertise in other areas of its composer, an honors graduate in Music Composition who also holds an MA in Political Science from Syracuse University, has created something relatively new, educational, incredibly moving, and emotionally powerful - all within a familiar and traditional format. The music integrated very well with the performers, and the words of the libretto, which are words that were actually spoken or written at one point in history and raised to art by Leonard Walton, brought enunciation and clarity to the music's occasional instrumental complexity.
— Jude Nagurney Camwell, blogcritics.org, July 12, 2005
The opera's plot traces the sufferings of Peltier and the Pine Ridge Indians, while the music displays Walton's talent as a vocal composer. In a performance heard last summer, his chorales were skillfully voiced, making the conflict and dissonances embedded in the music sound harmonious.
— Anna Reguero, Goldring Arts Journal, September 18, 2005
Lenny adds strong emotional elements to the libretto by using the actual words from events and trial manuscripts, complementing them with projections of photos from Wounded Knee and the 1969-1971 Alcatraz occupation. The singers' voices, the opera's scenery and lighting, and Matt's direction of the chamber ensemble created a powerful performance that works effectively to tell the story to audiences new to this part of history. Follow-up panel discussions are an integral part of the educational nature of the work.
— Donna Muhs McCarten, Syracuse Peace Newsletter, September 2005