MUSIC DVDS

This week's music DVDs reviewed

BELLINI: I PURITANI

Soloists: Anna Netrebko, Eric Cutler, Franco Vassallo, John Relyea. Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Ballet & Chorus.

Conductor: Patrick Summers

*****

Deutsche Grammophon

I Puritani, Bellini's last opera, was written for four of the most famous singers in the world in 1835. While the characters lack depth and complexity, Bellini composed glorious music for them, thus ensuring the continued popularity of the work. In particular the role of Elvira is one of the greatest of all soprano roles, with music that is still fresh today. This an acclaimed production staged at the New York Metropolitan in 2007, with Anna Netrebko in the central role. She gives a stunning performance, looking every inch the young bride to be and singing the glorious music in true bel canto style. Admirers of Bellini's music will love this performance. www.deutschegrammophon.com

COLMAN MORRISSEY

CHRISTOPH DREHER

The House of the Rising Punk

ABC Entertainment

There's little doubt that punk rock developed its style and attitude from New York. It was then cleverly appropriated by the likes of Malcolm McLaren, who hightailed it back to London and gave it a UK makeover. While Don Letts has documented the London side of things through his exemplary work in Punk:Attitude, people such as Bob Gruen have portrayed what happened in the bowels of the Lower East Side and the like. Originally made for release on German telelvision in 1998, The House of the Rising Punk is the story of CBGBs, a music dive in the Bowery that kick-started the careers of Patti Smith, The Ramones (below), Television, New York Dolls, Blondie and others. The footage is a grainy mix of the familiar and the stock, but the retelling of the scene through the recollections of musicians Smith, Lenny Kaye, Tom Verlaine and Richard Hell, and film-maker Jim Jarmusch, pour haute cuisine gravy onto an already tasty story. No extras.

TONY CLAYTON-LEA