Steven L. Rosenhaus: Composer, etc.

Reviews & Comments

Reviews

Selected Reviews of Compositions:

“'Variations on a Neapolitan Theme' [for concert band] is a fantastic set of six highly contrasting variations. From ragtime to waltz and trepak to bolero, this piece has it all.” — ACB Journal

“The other premiere comes from the American Steven L. Rosenhaus. His Violin Concerto of 1993/94 [sic] is expressive and sounds neoromantic. Its song-like melodic sequences and balladic aspects give it a lyrical beauty, within a newer soundworld....The finale is rhythmically swung and requires extreme virtuosity from the soloist. Florian Mayer was up to the task and played not only fully engaged, but also by heart, which with premieres is very rare.” — Sächsische Zeitung

“Violin Concerto by New York-based composer Steven Rosenhaus [premiered at the 16th Dresden Days of Contemporary Music festival] was a three-movement work...utilizing George Perle’s system of ‘twelve-tone tonality’ albeit in an original manner, not imitating Perle’s musical style....It was a sturdy, well-built composition with a substantial form and a reserved type of expressivity, at times the mood being vibrantly spirited and at other times, gentle and lyrical.” — The New Music Connoisseur

“Steven Rosenhaus’s [sic] near 13-minute long piece for saxophone and piano [The Ides] is an interesting study in contrasts.  Early in the piece there is a definite nocturnal mood which later picks up and becomes dancelike.  The final section has a nice lilt in the beginning and then softens to end on a quiet note....This is a piece that needs to be heard again....” — The New Music Connoisseur

“Mission Music,  a work for solo marimba by Steven L. Rosenhaus…proved a clever, deftly constructed and likable composition that eases in and out of tonality, finally ending definitively on a muted middle C.” — The New York Times

“In Critic, the new Off Off Broadway tuner..., a rather self-important critic gets his chance to learn a bit from the theatre of life. Jay Michaels (book) and Steven L. Rosenhaus’ (music and lyrics) musical takes an old convention - the switching of identities - and gives it a fresh, witty twist....Rosenhaus’ music and lyrics are sprightly, upbeat, and in the ballad repertory, simply lovely. He demonstrates a wide range of musical styles, from a down-home gospel chorus, to rags, to a superbly crafted love duet which really touches during the show’s second act.... ‘Critic,’ a first show for its two creators, demonstrates enormous promise. They could very well become a force to reckon with in the next generation of musical theatre.” — Back Stage

“…this charming miniature [Break of Day, for TTBB chorus unaccompanied by Steven L. Rosenhaus on text by John Donne] is an interesting addition to the men's choral repertoire.” — The Choral Journal

“[O3] Virginia City Bagatelle by Steven L. Rosenhaus is…from Nevada Bagatelles for symphony orchestra in which the composer tries to capture the essence of the old Wild West….Although the writing is not unduly difficult, the overall sound is quite impressive….This is good program material for a music festival.” — The Instrumentalist

Selected Reviews of Arrangements:

“[Tournament Galop by Louis Moreau Gottschalk, arranged for concert band by Steven L. Rosenhaus] is fiery music that will be a concert favorite, and it can be an effective opener or a spirited closer to any concert.” — J.W.K., The Instrumentalist

Selected Reviews of Books:

The Concert Composer's Business Handbook
by Steven L. Rosenhauis (Rowman & Littlefield)

“The Concert Composer's Business Handbook fills an important gap in music literature. While countless books explore compositional craft, few address the practical realities of sustaining a career. Rosenhaus's guide is that missing resource, equally valuable to aspiring composers and experienced professionals ... A clear, practical, and encouraging guide, this book is more than a one-time read.” ―SBO+

Writing Musical Theater
by Allen Cohen and Steven L. Rosenhaus (Palgrave Macmillan)

"Cohen (Fairleigh Dickinson Univ.) and Rosenhaus (NYU and Nassau Community College) have extensive performance, composing, writing, and teaching experience, and they demonstrate all their talents in this readable and practical two-part manual.,..the present volume will be of equal value to beginning practitioners and those with a general interest in musical theater. Summing Up: Recommended"." — R.D. Johnson, emeritus, SUNY College at Oneonta

“About midway through their appealing new book ‘Writing Musical Theater,’ authors Allen Cohen and Steven L. Rosenhaus set down three principles for writing an effective theater lyric. It must be concise, comprehensible and specific. That struck me as the perfect way to describe this practical guide for beginning and journeymen writers." — William Squier, musicalwriters.com

Recording Reviews:

Blues Spoken Here, The Don't Quit Your Day Job Players
(out of print)

“Another key player here is Steven L. Rosenhaus, whose singing voice is sharper and more incisive, and who writes the sort [of] gentle, catchy, pun-laden pop songs that were once the domain of Jimmy Buffett….the Players make one helluva fun and interesting combo.” — Gregory Nicoll, Southeast Performer