About Steven L. Rosenhaus Expertise Areas of interest: Classical composition, writing musical theater (including music, lyrics, libretti), songwriting (pop, rock, blues, folk, etc.); music theory; orchestration; arranging. Also: music publishing and related topics.
Experience Composer/arranger with over 100 original works and arrangements in currently in print; publishers include E.F. Kalmus, Masters Music, Music-Print Productions, Theodore Presser, etc. Works have been performed throughout the U.S. and Europe by the United States Navy Band, the U.S. Naval Academy Band, violinist Florian Meyer, the Dresden Sinfonietta conducted by Milko Kersten, pianist Laura Leon, the Meridian String Quartet, the New Hudson Saxophone Quartet, clarinetist Guido Arbonelli, etc. Off-Broadway musical "Critic" (1988) ran 41 performances to good reviews. Co-author, with Allen Cohen, "Writing Musical Theater" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2006). Also performing singer/songwriter: was in the Don't Quit Your Day Job Players, 1997-2000 (CD:"Blues Spoken Here" available at CDBaby); solo performer since 2000 (CD:"A Man Like Me" available at CDBaby, iTunes, etc.). Classical works and songs recorded on the Capstone, Richarson, Music for a G'Day, and MPP labels; available through CDBaby and/or iTunes, Rhapsody, etc.
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Composition at New York University; have taught composition and other subjects at NYU since 1992, including "Introduction to Music Publishing and Printing" (which I created for NYU's Music Business program). Also Adjunct Assistant Professor at Nassau Community College, teaching songwriting, folk music, history of rock, and other subjects. Currently creating a series of performance etudes for the U.S. Navy School of Music, coordinating them with the School's music theory, ear training, and performance instruction programs.
Organizations ASCAP, MENC, NARAS, Music Theory Society, College Music Society, plus several others in music education, composition, and theory.
Publications "Writing Musical Theater" by Allen Cohen and Steven L. Rosenhaus (Palgrave Macmillan, 2006). Article in Strings Magazine, May 2007, on my string quartet "Strange Loops."
Education/Credentials Ph.D.- New York University
M.A. - Queens College (CUNY)
B.A. - Queens College (CUNY)
I hope you can help me. I have written a musical (book, lyrics, music, orchestration) and it is currently in rehearsal.
I have begun taking some of the major themes and am weaving them into an overture. I plan to have the music playing as the audience enters the theatre for the show, before the lights go down.
All the orchestration for this show will be electronically pre-recorded.
I would like some advice as to what would be a good length of time for the piece. I'm thinking around 15 minutes. Too long, too short ...?
I'm hoping to whet the audience's appetite for the show. I have 17 musical numbers/songs. How many major themes should I use in the overture, do you think? (don't want to give away all the surprises)?
Anyway, your thoughts would be appreciated,
Thanks,
-- Penny
Answer Dear Penny,
Congratulations on getting your show "on the boards"!
To answer your questions:
The obvious statement is that overtures are meant to prepare the audience for what is to come. What is not obvious is that this is psychological and emotional preparation at least as much as it is "giving a taste" of the tunes to come. Keep in mind that many shows written over the last 25 years don't even use an overture, but prefer to use the opening number (or "establishing number") to set the mood, time, and place of the story. ("Tradition" in Fiddler on the Roof is an example.)
That said, 15 minutes is way too long. Average (good) overtures range from 4 to 6 minutes. You're not going to, nor do you need to, give all 17+ songs of your show in that time. You want to set the mood, and give that "taste" of the music to come. Hit highlights, particularly the "hooks" of your most memorable songs in the show, but don't give them all away.
Listen to the overtures for Rodgers and Hammerstein shows for examples of good overture writing (often done by orchestrators like Robert Russell Bennett).
