Reviews of the latest releases

PUCCINI: MANON LESCAUT
Soloists: Karita Mattila, Marcello Giordani, Dwayne Croft, Dale Travis. The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Chorus and Ballet. Conductor: James Levine
EMI Classics ****

Manon Lescautwas Puccini's breakthrough opera, coming some eight years after Massenet's popular setting of the same story. In view of that success, Puccini had difficulty in getting a commission, causing him to write to a colleague: "Massenet feels it as a Frenchman with the powder and the minuets. I shall feel it as an Italian, with desperate passion." A highly charged and passionate score it is, too, with glorious melodies tumbling over each other in prodigal profusion as the heroine goes from scheming ingenue to tragic victim. In this production, the title role is sung with style and passion by Karita Mattila, one of the great contemporary sopranos. As ever with Puccini, the tenor role is less interesting, and Marcello Giordani is only competent as Des Grieux. The minor roles, staging and conducting are exemplary. www.emiclassics. com COLMAN MORRISSEY

ERIC BURDON
The Animals and Beyond
ABC Entertainment ***

Pity Newcastle-upon-Tyne singer Eric Burdon; the man who personsified the gritty proto punk of 1960s UK act The Animals remains typecast as the guy who sang House of the Rising Son. Burdon was at one time a highly regarded r'n'b vocalist with an astute sense of rock and soul dynamics, but lack of creative judgement and a journey down the slippery drink'n'drugs slope cut into his commercial options. This career overview is out of date (it goes on DVD almost 20 years after its original release), but there's a good story to be told, involving band burn-outs, managerial mishaps and intra-band conflict. Burdon relates it all with frankness, humour and not a little of bit of rancour. Extras include archive clips, including live shows and a brief interview with Jimi Hendrix. TONY CLAYTON-LEA