Bastien and Bastienne 1966Ledlanet Nights
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Bastien had probably not been done in Scotland since Carl Rosa used it as a curtain-raiser back in the 1890s. Colas was another excellent role for Ian Wallace, while the two Australians were charming. The hall at Ledlanet was perfect in scale for little baroque pieces like this.
The remaining half of the evening's bouble bill was equally enterprising - a performance of Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire.
In addition the Autumn season 1966 of Ledlanet Nights included Britten's Turn of the Screw, arguably their best remembered production. An Evening with Ian Wallace and John Watt's evening of Scottish Folk Songs also formed part of the season. Bettina Jonic, John Calder's second wife, performed a programme of the Songs of Bertold Brecht with the Edinburgh Ensemble conducted by James Porter.
