Karl Erb
Karl Erb ( born July 13, 1877 in Ravensburg, † July 13, 1958 ) was a German tenor.
Biography and artistic career
The young Erb grew up in modest circumstances. As a choirboy he earned his first fee. After school, he hit a career as a civil servant, he was treasurer of the Ravensburger gas and water works. His voice was discovered on January 14, 1907 during a performance at the opera Cavalleria rusticana as a choir member of the Liederkranz Ravensburg in the context of a guest performance of the Stuttgart Court Opera at the Konzerthaus in Ravensburg. In the same year he made his debut as Evangelimann in the eponymous opera The Evangelimann, by Wilhelm Kienzl. Karl Erb, who was largely self-taught and struck relatively late, at the age of about 30 years, a career as a professional singer.
Below sang Karl Erb training including in Lübeck and Munich on "royally. Court and National Theater " ( Today: Bayerische Staatsoper), where he in 1913, after a successful stint as Lohengrin, a firm contract was awarded. Karl Erb sang and played all the known roles of the lyric and the youthful hero times, such as 1914 Parsifal. In 1917 he sang in the world premiere of Hans Pfitzner's opera Palestrina in the title role ( she is the highlight of his career ), 1918, he sang in the premiere of Franz Schreker's The subscribed the role of Salvago.
Later he made in concerts as a singer of songs and oratorios a name, often on the side of the chamber singer Meta thistle; in particular its Mozart lectures, his Schubert interpretations and its role as an evangelist in the Bach Passions made him famous. The last appearance at the Munich National Theatre had Erb in 1925, his contract was not renewed. In June 1930 his last performance took place in an opera and indeed in Berlin- Charlottenburg, as Florestan in Fidelio under the direction of Wilhelm Furtwängler. In September 1933 Erb sponsoring member of the SS in 1938, he was appointed professor. After 1945, the singer was seen as politically charged.
Karl Erb continued his vocal work until well into old age, which, as it seemed, had no adverse effect on his voice. A recording of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra by Carl Orff's The Moon of 1950, which was published as a CD shows very nicely the vocal culture of the 73 -year-old Karl Erb. But he devoted himself exclusively otherwise the song and oratorio singing. He appeared as a song interpreter together with the pianist Sebastian Peschko forth.
Karl Erb was his life as an introverted personality. He was married from 1921 to 1932 with the Hungarian soprano Maria Ivogün.
Thomas Mann puts it in his novel Doctor Faustus a monument in which a certain " legacy " the oratory of Adrian Leverkiihn from the baptism raises. Martin Walser also mentioned Karl Erb in his autobiographical novel A gushing fountain.
His entire fortune donated the artists of his hometown. To this day, young talented musicians are promoted from the Karl Erb Foundation. In Ravensburg Karl Erb - ring is reminiscent of the great son of the city.