Laura Pausini – Live 2001/2002 World Tour DVD – Laura Pausini 

A gold-plated treat for fans of the Italian chanteuse, Laura Pausini Live is the record of concerts at the Filaforum, Milan filmed during her 2001-2002 World Tour. A capacity crowd shows their appreciation in the most flattering way, by singing along lustily with Laura as she presents a “best of” selection of emotive power ballads and chorus-led up-tempo numbers. It’s touching to see the singer’s unaffected delight when, during “Seamisai” for example, she lets the audience take the lead. It’s this genuine sense of pleasure that Pausini communicates so effectively on stage, and which works its charm on the viewer at home as much as the crowd in the auditorium. Framed by her slick band on an elegant stage set, her understated appearance seems a continent or more away from the overly demonstrative American divas with whom she is often compared. True, many of these songs could equally be in the repertoire of Celine Dion or Cher or Mariah Carey, but Pausini is the real deal: a fine singer who simply takes delight in her music, without the need for histrionics or the apparently obligatory celebrity excesses. For the studio versions of many of these songs, check out her Best of CD. On the DVD: Laura Pausini Live reproduces the genuine stadium sound in DTS or Dolby 5.1; accompanied by a vivid anamorphic 16:9 picture the sense of occasion is palpable. Extra features include selected Spanish-language tracks; the promo videos for “E ritorno da te” and “La storia che vale” (plus their Spanish versions); a behind-the-scenes peek at the making of the videos; a clips montage; and some time-lapse photography of the venue. –Mark Walker