*** ELVIS COSTELLO, “Live: A Case for Song,” Warner Reprise Video

Costello’s “case for song” isn’t clearly outlined in this collection of 16 oddities and classics, filmed during a 1995 performance at the BBC in London. But no matter. The intimate setting naturally emphasizes the songs, which readily speak for themselves, in spite of occasionally intrusive video editing.

The veteran English singer-songwriter enlists an expansive roster to craft suitable environments for each piece. Whatever the framework, his vocals remain the focus, seeming to inhabit a space just above the music. His longtime band the Attractions drives home the taut recriminations of such rockers as “Riot Act,” on which Costello’s terse delivery virtually severs each word in half. The stark backdrops created by the classical musicians of the Brodsky Quartet and the White City Septet throw his words into sharp relief, letting him maximize every emotional subtlety.

This personal presentation seems ripe for a few revelations from the artist, but he’s not terribly forthcoming, shedding only bits of light on a tune’s origin. Far more disappointing, however, is the way sweeping camera movements and editing tricks force open the distance between Costello and the viewer, diluting the impact of a poignant guitar-and-piano rendition of “Veronica.”

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