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]

Roles

The following roles are in the standard heldentenor repertoire:

Richard Wagner

Richard Strauss

Other

Example singers

"In fernem Land"
Lohengrin's grail aria, performed by Latvian tenor Hermann Jadlowker, 1912.
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See also: Category:Heldentenors

Germany

Northern, Central, and Western Europe

North and South America

References

  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 d Callaghan, Jean; Emmons, Shirlee; Popeil, Lisa (2012). McPherson, Gary E.; Welch, Graham F. (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Music Education. Vol. 1. Oup USA. p. 571. ISBN 978-0-19-973081-0. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  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. ^ a b 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.
  21. ^ a b c d e McGinnis, Pearl Yeadon (2010). The Opera Singer's Career Guide: Understanding the European Fach System. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-8108-6916-5. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  22. ^ McGinnis 2010, p. 258
  23. ^ a b Bickel, Jan E. (2016). Vocal Technique: A Physiologic Approach (2nd ed.). San Diego, California: Plural Publishing. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-944883-34-8. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  24. ^ a b c d Libbey, Ted (2006). The NPR Listener's Encyclopedia of Classical Music. New York City: Workman. p. 864. ISBN 978-0-7611-2072-8. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  25. ^ McGinnis 2010, p. 258
  26. ^ a b c Barber, Josephine (1985). German for Musicians. Foreword by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. p. 235. ISBN 978-0-253-21260-3. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  27. ^ McGinnis 2010, p. 258
  28. ^ Krause, Ernst (1969). Richard Strauss: The Man and his Work. Boston: Crescendo Publishing Company. p. 517. ISBN 978-0-87597-024-0. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  29. ^ Gilliam, Bryan, ed. (1992). Richard Strauss and His World. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. p. 169. ISBN 978-0-691-02762-3. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  30. ^ Krause, Ernst (1963). Richard Strauss: Gestalt und Werk [Richard Strauss: Person and Work] (in German). Wiesbaden, Germany: Breitkopf & Härtel. p. 532. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  31. ^ Krause 1969, p. 522
  32. ^ McGinnis 2010, p. 258
  33. ^ McGinnis 2010, p. 258
  34. ^ a b c d e f g h Marek, Dan [in Swedish] (2007). Singing: The First Art. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. pp. 39–40. ISBN 978-0-8108-5711-7. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  35. ^ Fox, Margalit (2010). "Peter Hofmann, Singer of Rock, Opera and Musicals, Dies at 66". The New York Times. New York City. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  36. ^ a b Stohrer, Sharon L. (2014). The Singer's Companion. Milton Park, Oxfordshire, UK: Taylor & Francis. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-317-95817-8. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  37. ^ Sadie, Stanley, ed. (1980). "Knote, Heinrich". The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Vol. 10 (1st ed.). London: Macmillan. p. 126.
  38. ^ Matheopoulos, Helena (1986). Divo: Great Tenors, Baritones, and Basses Discuss Their Roles. New York City: Harper & Row. p. 94. ISBN 978-0-06-015634-3. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  39. ^ Ross, Alex (2020). "Siegfried's Death". Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music. New York City: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-1-4299-4454-0. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  40. ^ Calico, Joy H. (2012). Cowgill, Rachel; Poriss, Hilary (eds.). The Arts of the Prima Donna in the Long Nineteenth Century. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 71. ISBN 978-0-19-971083-6. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  41. ^ Nilsson, Birgit (1974). "Wolfgang Windgassen: A Leading Heldentenor Remembered". The New York Times. New York City. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  42. ^ Shawe-Taylor, Desmond (2008). Macy, Laura Williams (ed.). Burian, Karel. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. p. 64. ISBN 978-0-19-533765-5. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  43. ^ Mesa, Franklin (2015). Opera: An Encyclopedia of World Premieres and Significant Performances, Singers, Composers, Librettists, Arias and Conductors, 1597–2000. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 401. ISBN 978-1-4766-0537-1. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  44. ^ La Grange, Henry-Louis de; Weiß, Günther [in German], eds. (2004). Gustav Mahler: Letters to His Wife. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-8014-4340-4. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  45. ^ Brug, Manuel (2003). Die neuen Sängerstimmen: von Cecilia Bertoli bis Bryn Terfel; mit ausführlichen Lexikonteil [The New Singer Voices: from Cecilia Bertoli to Bryn Terfel; with Detailed Encyclopedia] (in German). Henschel. p. 130. ISBN 978-3-89487-452-0. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  46. ^ Evans, John, ed. (2010). Journeying Boy: The Diaries of the Young Benjamin Britten 1928-1938. London: Faber & Faber. p. 549. ISBN 978-0-571-27464-2. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  47. ^ Feinman, Barbara (1983). "The Hero Tenor". The Washington Post. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  48. ^ Brug, Manuel (22 September 2023). "Heldentenor Stephen Gould †: Der Iron Man vom Grünen Hügel". Die Welt (in German). Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  49. ^ Saxon, Wolfgang (2005). "James King, 80, Tenor Known for Strauss and Wagner, Dies". The New York Times. New York City. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  50. ^ "Robert Dean Smith sings Wagner". Gramophone.co.uk. London: Mark Allen Group. 2001. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  51. ^ Tommassini, Anthony (2015). "Jon Vickers, Opera Star Known for His Raw Power and Intensity, Dies at 88". The New York Times. New York City. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  52. ^ Bartolucci, Davide (2014). Männerarten: La prassi esecutiva del Ring nella Neu-Bayreuth (1951–1975) [Männerarten: The Performance Practice of the Ring in Neu-Bayreuth (1951–1975)] (in Italian). Milan: Piccoli Giganti Ediztioni. p. 191. ISBN 978-88-905867-4-3. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
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