Masini"s voice is huge, steely and ringing. Gobbi may well be the century"s most interesting and complex Italian baritone. Here he plays both Tonio and Silvio, differentiating the parts not only in physical characterization and appearance but in vocal color. Not content with finding one timbre for each, he offers fabulous variety of shading, beyond anything attempted by Fischer-Dieskau or Prey in their repertories. His only weak spot is lack of real tenderness as Silvio. Fineschi puts her heart into Nedda, singing with the beguiling pomegranatelike sound of Italian sopranos of the 30s. Her screen counterpart, Lollobrigida, makes it easy to understand why the three men run amok. Soler"s clarion tones make him more suitable for Arnoldo (in Tell) than anyone since. Both prints are crisp and detailed.--Stefan Zucker