Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A tenor voice with a striking dramatic or brilliant quality that is well suited for heroic roles, such as those in Wagnerian opera.
  • noun A person with such a voice.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A singer with a deep, strong voice that spans the range between baritone and tenor

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[German : Held, hero (from Middle High German helt, from Old High German helid) + Tenor, tenor (from Italian tenore; see tenor).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From German Heldentenor

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Examples

  • I think I was probably wrong, talking about his Strauss disc the other day, to call him a 'heldentenor' - he may perhaps become one in time next decade's greatest Tristan? and he's still only in his early thirties.

    Jose takes the cake Jessica 2007

  • I think I was probably wrong, talking about his Strauss disc the other day, to call him a 'heldentenor' - he may perhaps become one in time next decade's greatest Tristan? and he's still only in his early thirties.

    Archive 2007-01-01 Jessica 2007

  • Wolfgang Koch was a sympathetic Dyer; Stephen Gould, a powerful heldentenor , was a bright-hued Emperor.

    Women on the Verge Of a Marital Breakdown Heidi Waleson 2011

  • "Next to a heldentenor , we can't compete," he said, drawing a contrast with Wagnerian heroes.

    When Sheer Power Is Not Enough David Mermelstein 2011

  • Each kind runs the gamut from schlocky (remember the rock albums by the German heldentenor Peter Hofmann in the 1980s?) to serious (indie-pop star Sufjan Stevens's orchestral/instrumental work "BQE").

    'Classical crossover': A label not necessarily to be feared Anne Midgette 2010

  • EMI Classics The New Zealander Simon O'Neill (b 1971) is fast winning international recognition as a leading heldentenor, that rare breed of powerful, heroic tenor voice needed for German romantic opera, especially Richard Wagner.

    Simon O'Neill: Father and Son, Wagner Scenes and Arias 2010

  • Matthias Schulz valiantly shouldered the heldentenor demands of Fritz's music, though he sometimes sounded pinched in its most extreme moments.

    Ringing Down From the Hudson Valley 2010

  • With a voice reminiscent of the young Jon Vickers, but with more warmth and Mediterranean luster, and with the kind of matinee-idol looks and committed acting that make him a compelling presence onstage, Kaufmann outclasses all of his current competitors in the heldentenor stakes.

    On DVD: Lohengrin 2010

  • For Ahab, he capitalized on Ben Heppner's heldentenor power and clarity in his high range, creating fierce monologues that make it clear to the audience if not to the crew that Ahab is quite mad.

    Taming the Whale 2010

  • Kaufmann outclasses all of his current competitors in the heldentenor stakes.

    DVD review: Wagner: Lohengrin. Kaufmann, Harteros, et al. Kent Nagano, conducts the Bavarian State Opera orchestra and chorus 2010

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