heldentenor
noun
a tenor having a brilliant, powerful voice suited to singing heroic roles, as in Wagnerian opera.
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heldentenor
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Heldentenor
Heldentenornouna tenor with a powerful voice suited to singing heroic roles, esp in Wagner
heldentenor
American
[hel-dn-ten-er, hel-dn-tey-nohr ]
/ ˈhɛl dnˌtɛn ər, ˈhɛl dn teɪˌnoʊr /
noun
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heldentenors,
plural
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heldentenore
plural
Heldentenor
British
/ ˈhɛldəntenoːr /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of heldentenor
1925–30; < German, equivalent to Helden- combining form of Held hero + Tenor tenor
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He is a heldentenor, which he means he has a super-powered, dramatic, heroic-sounding voice that is suited to Wagner epics.
From The Guardian ● Dec. 4, 2018
His voice is smoky and nimble, able to fill a hall with both the volume of a Wagnerian heldentenor and an exquisite hovering pianissimo.
From New York Times ● Oct. 12, 2018
In the small roles of the Theater Manager and Banker, Julian Close made a notable Met debut, showing a strong dark voice; Daniel Brenna, the American heldentenor, was slightly pale as Dr. Schön’s son Alwa.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 6, 2015
Both companies field strong casts, but the standout was Australian heldentenor Stuart Skelton, whose Parsifal in London was just about ideal.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 21, 2011
What the opera world needs most right now is a new Wagnerian soprano or a hefty heldentenor, but that is not what the fans are looking for.
From Time Magazine Archive
A sizable portion of his time was devoted to administering the Heldentenor Foundation, which he established in 1968 to encourage new talent in an annual competition.
From Time Magazine Archive
Peter Hofmann, 31, who sang Siegmund, has a rich tenor with the dark baritone quality that often marks a young Heldentenor.
From Time Magazine Archive
He is an accomplished Wagnerian, and while certainly no Heldentenor, has brought a warmth and expressiveness to the Wagnerian repertoire that remains unmatched.
From Time Magazine Archive
"I'm getting too fat for this," grumbled hefty Heldentenor Lauritz Melchior.
From Time Magazine Archive
The stage manager of the drama, the first and second Kapellmeister, the "Bureau Chef," the Heldentenor, Heldenbariton, High Dramatic, Coloratura, my sister and myself were all invited.
From Confessions of an Opera Singer by Howard, Kathleen
Van Aken, who learned only Thursday that he would be substituting for an ailing Simon O'Neill, showed promise of being a fine addition to the ranks of heldentenors, who specialize in the heaviest Wagnerian roles.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 12, 2010
Wagnerian heldentenors have rarely stirred the hearts of more than a minority of opera buffs, though, which is where Jose Cura and Marcelo Alvarez come in.
From Time Magazine Archive
A few years ago, all three of his heldentenors suddenly came down with colds at the same time.
From Time Magazine Archive
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
