heldentenor

See also: Heldentenor

English

Etymology

From German Heldentenor. Literally, “hero tenor”.

Noun

heldentenor (plural heldentenors)

1. A singer with a deep, strong voice that spans the range between baritone and tenor
   • 1988 October 21, George Grass, “WagnerVision”, in Chicago Reader‎^[1]:

     The absence of the Lyric's usual work-horse heldentenor William Johns (who, according to Lyric, dropped out of the show--quite uncharacteristically--due to illness) was sadly evident here.

   • 2004, Joe Queenan, True Believers, page 158:

     Over the course of his lifetime, he will be forced to endure ... precocious heldentenors [.]