Erb Karl, *13 July 1877 Ravensburg, †13 July 1958 Ravensburg, German singer (tenor). Self-taught, he made his debut at the Hoftheater in Stuttgart in 1907. He remained there until 1913, apart from a two-year spell at the Stadttheater in Lübeck. Between 1913 and 1925 he was a soloist at the Hof- und Nationaltheater in Munich, then sang at the Städtische Oper in Berlin, whilst continuing to make guest appearances in Munich. Following a serious accident in 1930, he retired from the opera stage and performed exclusively in concert halls, specialising in oratorio and lieder repertoire, whilst undertaking numerous artistic tours. He was particularly highly regarded as a performer of the tenor parts in J.S. Bach’s Passions and as an interpreter of Schubert’s songs. He owed his very long artistic career to his exceptional vocal qualities and his interpretative art; he continued to sing even after reaching the age of 70.
Literature: M. Müller-Goegler Karl Erb. Das Leben eines Sängers, Offenburg 1948.
