heldentenor

American  

[hel-dn-ten-er, hel-dn-tey-nohr] / ˈhɛl dnˌtɛn ər, ˈhɛl dn teɪˌnoʊr /

noun

plural

heldentenors,

plural

heldentenore

1. a tenor having a brilliant, powerful voice suited to singing heroic roles, as in Wagnerian opera.

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Heldentenor British  

/ ˈhɛldəntenoːr /

noun

1. a tenor with a powerful voice suited to singing heroic roles, esp in Wagner

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Etymology

Origin of heldentenor

1925–30; < German, equivalent to Helden- combining form of Held hero + Tenor tenor

Example Sentences

That said, Saturday night was a fireworks show, including a trio of stunner main-stage debuts from soprano Pretty Yende, British heldentenor David Butt Philip and bass-baritone Christian Van Horn.

From Washington Post • Nov. 7, 2021

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

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

Reviewing his Siegmund at Bayreuth in 1976, Harold C. Schonberg wrote in The New York Times, “He may be the heldentenor of the future.”

From New York Times • Dec. 1, 2010

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