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INGE BORKH, 36, a big-voiced, big-framed German soprano, sings brilliantly in such muscular roles as Elektra and Salome, overacts with boisterous Germanic abandon. Last week, in her Met debut, she acted a coarse-grained Salome. She danced enthusiastically, handled her voice intelligently and, in the final long soliloquy, sang with exquisite beauty.
GIORGIO Tozzi, 35, a tall (6 ft. 1 in.), big-shouldered Chicago-born bass, made his New York debut as Tarquinius in the 1949 Broadway production of Benjamin Britten's Rape of Lucretia, but after the short-lived Rape closed, Tozzi wound up a penniless student in Italy (he recalls being so weak from hunger that he could climb to his third-floor room only once a day). Since then, he has sung widely in Europe, last summer toured as Emile de Becque with Mary Martin in South Pacific. A onetime baritone, Tozzi has a deep, warm voice in which much of the baritone quality persists, also has fine stage presence and plenty of humor (as he demonstrated as the Old Doctor in Vanessa). Tozzi ought to make a good Don Giovanni in time.
MARY CURTIS-VERNA, 30, a tall (5 ft. 7 in.), Massachusetts-born dramatic soprano, has become the Metropolitan's most highly publicized relief aria-pitcher in the year since she joined the company. Three times this season she substituted for ailing divas in starring roles (once, on three hours' notice and without rehearsal, she sang Donna Anna when Eleanor Steber fell ill), while maintaining her own schedule of Toscas, Leonoras and Aïdas. Unfortunately, there is more drama in her last-minute appearances offstage than on: her singing, often attractive enough, has little spark, often wins only polite applause. But she has unshatterable poise, knows how to act, makes intelligent use of a wide-ranging voice.