Heldentenor

Heldentenor Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld and his wife, Malvina, in the title roles of Tristan und Isolde, 1865.

A heldentenor (German: [ˈhɛl.dn̩.teˌnoːɐ̯] ⓘ;[1] English: heroic tenor),[2][3][4] earlier called tenorbariton,[1] is an operatic tenor voice, most often associated with Wagnerian repertoire.[5][6][7]

It is distinct from other tenor fächer by its endurance,[8][9] volume,[10][11] and dark timbre, which may be, in its middle register, like that of a baritone.[4][12] The voice may also sound clear or metallic.[1] It is one of the rarest voice types in opera.[13][14] Heldentenor roles, such as the title roles in Siegfried and Lohengrin, often require commanding stage presence and strong acting ability. In some cases, due to reasons such as voice misidentification, singers may begin their careers as baritones before later transitioning.[15][16][17] The term heldentenor may be used to refer to both a singer and their voice.

The treble counterpart of the heldentenor is the Wagnerian soprano.[18][19][20]

The heldentenor range from approximately (B2) to (C5)[4]
  1. ^ a b c Suverkrop, Bard (2017). "The Fach System: The Tenor Voice". IPASource.com. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  2. ^ Silcox, Nancy (2020). Paul Frey: A Story Never Predicted: from Trucking to the World Opera Stage. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock. p. 93. ISBN 978-1-7252-6165-5. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  3. ^ Douglas, Nigel (1995). More Legendary Voices. Lanham, MD: Limelight Editions. p. 157. ISBN 978-0-87910-193-0. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference McPherson was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Berger, William (1998). Wagner Without Fear: Learning to Love—and Even Enjoy—Opera's Most Demanding Genius. New York City: Vintage Books. p. 435. ISBN 978-0-375-70054-5. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  6. ^ Howlett, Niel (2010). "What is a Heldentenor?". NielHowlett.com. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  7. ^ Hoffman, Miles (2005). The NPR Classical Music Companion: An Essential Guide for Enlightened Listening. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. p. 272. ISBN 978-0-618-61945-0. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  8. ^ Wakin, Daniel J. (2010). "Heldentenor Foundation Is Closing Shop". The New York Times. New York City.
  9. ^ Gaetano, John Louis (2015). An Invitation to the Opera, Revised Edition. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 54. ISBN 978-0-7864-9519-1. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  10. ^ Fisher, Burton D. (2005). A History of Opera: Milestones and Metamorphoses. Miami: Opera Journeys Publishing. p. 419. ISBN 978-1-930841-98-7. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  11. ^ Shirley, Hugo (2015). "Voices: Glossary". 30-Second Opera: The 50 Crucial Concepts, Roles and Performers, Each Explained in Half a Minute. London: Ivy Press. ISBN 978-1-78240-299-2. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  12. ^ Benninger, Michael S.; Murry, Thomas; Johns III, Michael M. (2015). The Performer's Voice (2nd ed.). San Diego, California: Plural Publishing. p. 433. ISBN 978-1-59756-882-1. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  13. ^ Ware, Clifton (1998). Basics of Vocal Pedagogy: The Foundations and Process of Singing. New York City: McGraw Hill Education. p. 193. ISBN 978-0-07-068289-4. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  14. ^ Felix, Stanford (2010). Heldentenor. London: DK. ISBN 978-1-101-19809-4. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  15. ^ Boldrey, Richard (1994). Guide to Operatic Roles and Arias. Caldwell. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-877761-64-5. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  16. ^ Weiner, Marc A. (1993). Grimm, Reinhold; Hermand, Jost (eds.). Re-Reading Wagner. University of Wisconsin Press. p. 96. ISBN 978-0-299-97076-5. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  17. ^ Hoch, Matthew (2014). Heldentenor. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 79. ISBN 978-0-8108-8656-8. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  18. ^ Thielemann, Christian (2015). "(6) Money or Love: Wagner for Beginners". My Life with Wagner. London: Orion Publishing. ISBN 978-0-297-60856-1. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  19. ^ Jackson, Roland (2013). Voice Types. Oxfordshire: Routledge. p. 459. ISBN 978-1-136-76770-8. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  20. ^ Kelly, Thomas Forrest (2006). First Nights at the Opera. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 231. ISBN 978-0-300-11526-0. Retrieved 18 August 2022.