José Erard

Erard was active in the 1910s, and not just a record tenor as one might be tempted to assume when hearing his voice; he gave an aria and lieder concert at the New York Belasco theatre in February 1912 that was reviewed in the New York Times (which said Erard was a French tenor), and he was a member of the Boston Opera (Ashville Citizen Times, 15 August 1910; The Times from Shreveport, 11 November 1919).
His real name was Erhart, and when his career was over by 1919, he founded – the "Erhart Oil Company" that drilled for oil in Louisiana (cf. The Times from Shreveport, as above). What became of that company, or of Erard-Erhart, remains to be further investigated.

V. Combarnous (L'histoire du Grand-Théâtre de Marseille, 1787–1919) lists a tenor Erard as part of the 1909/10 roster.

Discography (most probably far from complete)

US Everlasting 4-min cylinders, USA 1909?
7001       La bohème: Ah Mimì, tu piu non torni with Cesare Alessandroni
33023      Lucia di Lammermoor. Chi mi frena in tal momento
           with Irma Wright-Heims, Cesare Alessandroni, G. Rossano, Madeleine Borschneck and Giuseppe Peratori 
33024      Rigoletto (Verdi): Bella figlia dell' amore
           with Irma Wright-Heims, Madeleine Borschneck and Cesare Alessandroni
35025      Carmen: Je suis Escamillo with Cesare Alessandroni

Columbia (November 4/20 1911)
19653-1-2  Rigoletto: Questa o quella               unpublished
19653-3-4  Rigoletto: Questa o quella               A-1119                 
19654-1-1  Rigoletto: La donna è mobile             A-1119              

Victor New York 10/24/1911 			
?          Test?

I wish to thank Christian Torrent for the recordings (Questa o quella, La donna è mobile) and pictures.

I wish to thank Robert Schlesinger for the recording (Bella figlia).