Stuttgart
In 1906, aged 29, he started an unpaid probationary year at Stuttgart (beginning January 1907, which led to a five year paid contract. He had the help of a young répétiteur, a singing teacher, a drama tutor (Hans Islaub, who got rid of his Swabian accent) and a ballet master. He studied the roles of Max (Der Freischütz), Lionel (Martha), Walter (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg) and Mathias in Der Evangelimann by Wilhelm Kienzl. Through the singer Elsa Wiborg, he was given the chance to sing privately for the King and Queen; then, on 14 June 1907, he made his debut in Evangelimann at the new Hoftheater. Erb was also gave recitals and made oratorio appearances during his probation at Stuttgart.
He then appeared as Lohengrin (in which the shimmering brightness of his voice was especially effective), as Buddha (in Adolf Vogel's Maja ), as Little Massarena in Le domino noir, Achilles(Iphigenia in Aulis), Walter (Meistersinger) and as Faust in the title role of Gounod's opera. By the end of the trial year he had sung at the Hoftheater at 30 evenings or masterclasses: an unparalleled success. Soon afterwards,at von Putlitz's urging, Erb took singing lessons from Felix Decken, a tenorbuffo, who tried to break and rebuild his technique. Erb, deeply undermined, sacked him and nearly broke with von Putlitz, but instead they agreed that he pass the winter season 1908 as leading lyric tenor for the brand new Theatre at Lübeck.
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