Karl Erb (singer)

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Karl Erb, 1912.
Karl Erb's stage shoes, around 1920 ( Museum Humpis-Quartier , Ravensburg)
Telegram from Goebbels to Karl Erb to be appointed professor, 1938. ( Ravensburg City Archives , Karl Erb estate)
Ravensburg main cemetery, tomb of Karl Erb, detail with inscription and notes
SS-FM membership book of the tenor (joined September 1933)

Karl Erb (born July 13, 1877 in Ravensburg ; † July 13, 1958 there ) was a German opera singer ( tenor ).

Life

The young Erb grew up in modest circumstances. As a choirboy he earned his first fee. After school, he embarked on a career as a civil servant, he was the treasurer of the Ravensburger gas and water works. His voice was discovered on January 14, 1907 during a performance in the opera Cavalleria rusticana as a choir member of the Ravensburg Liederkranz as part of a guest performance by the Stuttgart Court Opera in the Konzerthaus Ravensburg . In the same year he made his debut as Evangelimann in the opera of the same name, Der Evangelimann , by Wilhelm Kienzl . Karl Erb, who was largely self-taught , started a career as a professional singer relatively late, around the age of 30.

Subsequently, Karl Erb sang for further training among others in Lübeck and Munich at the “Königl. Hof- und Nationaltheater ”(today: Bayerische Staatsoper ), where he received a permanent contract in 1913 after a successful guest performance as Lohengrin . Karl Erb sang and played all known roles in the lyrical and youthful hero fields, such as Parsifal in 1914 . In 1917 he sang the title role in the world premiere of Hans Pfitzner's opera Palestrina (it is considered the high point of his career), in 1918 he sang the role of Salvago in the world premiere of Franz Schreker's Die Gezeichen.

Later he made a name for himself at concerts as a singer of songs and oratorios , often at the side of the chamber singer Meta Diestel ; in particular his Mozart lectures, his Schubert interpretations and his role as an evangelist in the Passions of Bach made him famous. When mixed choir Zurich he was engaged from 1920 to 1938 in 12 oratorios and concerts as a soloist. Erb had the last appearance in the Munich National Theater in 1925; his contract had not been renewed. His last performance in an opera took place in June 1930 in Berlin-Charlottenburg , as Florestan in Fidelio under the direction of Wilhelm Furtwängler . In September 1933, Erb became a supporting member of the SS . In 1938 he was appointed professor. After 1945 the singer was considered politically charged.

Karl Erb continued his vocal work well into old age, which it seemed had no adverse effect on his voice. A recording by Bayerischer Rundfunk of Carl Orff's Der Mond from 1950, which was also released on CD, shows the vocal culture of the 73-year-old Karl Erb very nicely. Otherwise, he devoted himself exclusively to song and oratorio singing. He emerged as a song interpreter together with the pianist Sebastian Peschko .

Karl Erb was considered an introverted personality throughout his life. He was married to the Hungarian soprano Maria Ivogün from 1921 to 1932 .

With his novel Doctor Faustus, Thomas Mann erects him a memorial in which a certain “legacy” of Adrian Leverkühn's oratorio is christened. Even Martin Walser mentioned Karl Erb in his autobiographical novel A gushing fountain .

The artist donated his entire fortune to his hometown. To this day, talented young musicians are supported by the Karl Erb Foundation . In Ravensburg, the Karl-Erb-Ring is a reminder of the city's great son.

Honors

literature

  • Maria Müller-Gögler : Karl Erb. A singer's life . Verlag Franz Huber, Offenburg 1948 (new edition with an afterword 1980 : Thorbecke, Sigmaringen 1980, ISBN 3-7995-1608-5 )
  • Peter Eitel : "... he sings as if he were looking from spherical heights". Voices about Karl Erb . In: Im Oberland, 3rd year 1992, issue 2, pp. 53–60
  • Horst Ferdinand: Erb, Karl , in: Baden-Württembergische Biographien. Vol. 1. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 978-3-17-012207-9 , pp. 73f. ( E-text )

Web links

Commons : Karl Erb  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Erb, Karl
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German opera singer (tenor)
DATE OF BIRTH July 13, 1877
PLACE OF BIRTH Ravensburg
DATE OF DEATH July 13, 1958
Place of death Ravensburg