Mid 19th century. Apparently from Italian primo tenore assoluto (although this is apparently not recorded in dictionaries of Italian) from primo tenore + assoluto.
Definition of primo tenore assoluto in US English:
primo tenore assoluto
noun
A primo tenore of particular excellence.
Origin
Mid 19th century. Apparently from Italian primo tenore assoluto (although this is apparently not recorded in dictionaries of Italian) from primo tenore + assoluto.