1925–30; < German, equivalent to Helden- combining form of Held hero + Tenor tenor
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
Conversely, it is very rare to hear a baritone or heldentenor on the soundtrack of a horror movie.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 22, 2010
A pure heldentenor, Cassilly possessed a booming, heroic voice that ideally suited grand Wagnerian roles.
From Time Magazine Archive
Not long afterward, Soprano Talley's bubble had burst, and Manhattan operagoers began to think that Melchior was the best all-round Heldentenor they had heard since Jean de Reszke.
From Time Magazine Archive
Though he lives in Germany and sings in the U. S., tenants of the Ansonia do not need to be reminded that Heldentenor Melchior is a Dane.
From Time Magazine Archive
Today, rotund, greying, 49-year-old Lauritz Melchior, the best Heldentenor of them all, is content to rest on his laurels.
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
The Heldentenor may sometimes have to allow his artistic nature to get the better of him for a moment, but no one else may claim such license.
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
A few years ago, all three of his heldentenors suddenly came down with colds at the same time.
From Time Magazine Archive
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
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.
