The Two Amigos Ride Again- A 15,000 mile vacation of a lifetime

steve williams · Jul 9, 2017

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steve williams · Jul 9, 2017

steve williams · Jul 9, 2017

steve williams · Jul 9, 2017

steve williams · Jul 9, 2017

WLVCA · Jul 9, 2017

Steve, thanks very much for sharing information and photos of your trip.

Last summer my wife and I went to Sweden and we considered adding St. Petersburg to our itinerary. We went to Ireland instead.

Based on your photos and descriptions, looks like we will have to plan another trip to see St. Petersburg. I knew it was a great city but had no idea just how incredible it was.

steve williams · Jul 9, 2017

WLVCA · Jul 9, 2017

My sympathies for your recent kidney stone problem.

In Tucson kidney stones are a stronger possibility for newcomers due to the very dry climate. They are commonly known as a welcome to the desert "gift." I had a kidney stone about 4 months after moving here.

I had no idea just how painful it could be. I definitely drink more water to help prevent them.

steve williams · Jul 9, 2017

As you can see from all of these photos, St Petersburg is a city which IMO every needs to see at least once

steve williams · Jul 9, 2017

marty said:
Since it appears Steve is towards the end of the Russia segment, I’d like to comment on attending the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, which was a highlight of the trip for me. The St. Petersburg Philharmonic is a storied orchestra and Russia’s oldest (1882), and anyone who is anybody in the classical music world has likely played there in the past century or so.

http://www.philharmonia.spb.ru/en/about/orchestra/zkrasof/about/

The Chief conductor is the internationally famous Yuri Temirkanov however the night we were there, his Deputy, Nikolay Alexeev did the honors and he was superb. I loved the programming, which was unconventional by American standards. It was an all-Russian program that began with Tchaikovsky’s Serenade #3, followed by Rachmaninoff’s music for Romeo and Juliet scored for piano and orchestra, and concluded with Scriabin’s Poem of Ecstasy (op 54). In all my years of attending concerts in the US, I have never heard any of these pieces performed as they are off the beaten path. But they were each beautiful and awesome.

It is said that no orchestra plays Tchaikovsky like a Russian orchestra, and this performance made me a believer. Everyone knows Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, but I had never heard this version by Rachmaninoff. The Rachmaninoff featured the 27 y/o pianist Philip Kopachevsky, a winner of multiple international competitions and whose performance brought the house down. There were time he almost levitated out of his chair and when he finally stood up at the end, I confirmed he only had two hands and not three, since that’s what it sounded like at times.

The sound of the hall was spectacular. It is a classical “shoe-box”, as are many of the best sounding halls in the world, but it was warm, intimate, reverberant, and just fantastic. Each section could be distinctly heard although the seating arrangement was a bit unusual as the stage is not very deep but is very wide as the photo shows. While away, I sent my VTL 7.5 III preamp back for some rolling line changes and when I told Bea Lam I attended this concert, when told me it was one of her favorite halls as well. I can see why.

Ticket prices were very reasonable at about $95 for 12th row dead center obtained months in advance. But that wasn’t as good as the Stanford students seated immediately in front of us who got in for free as part of their exchange program! It was a fantastic evening, capped off by walking back to the hotel around 11 pm while the city was bathed in twilight.

Like Marty one of the highlights of the Russian part of the trip was the Symphony one night and the Ballet the following night where we saw Swan Lake performed

I enjoyed the first two parts of the symphony but no so much the third as it was apiece that not only had I not heard but so also I had never heard of

Philip Kopachevsky the young pianist was superb and he brought the house down. He was tall and thin and if ever there was an obvious definition of arachnodactyly, this young man possessed it as his hands flew off the keyboard. The seats Marty chose could not have been better and as he pointed out the row ahead of us was filled with a group of young Stanford exchange students who were a delight to talk with.

steve williams · Jul 9, 2017

Here are a few photos of the hall with the very large organ up front. The organ was played for the 3rd part and honestly was never overpowering

I also remember counting 9 bass players for Tchaikovsky's Serenade

steve williams · Jul 9, 2017

steve williams · Jul 9, 2017

End of Day 5

steve williams · Jul 9, 2017

Day 6 Excursion Of Yusopov Palace, a visit to one of the few synagogues in St.Petersburg and attending the Ballet, Swan Lake (June 26)

The Yusopov Palace is located on the Moika Embankment. It is one of the most beautiful examples of classicism style constructions in St Petersburg. Deorated with six column portico the palace delights with harmony of proportions and silhouette elegancy. It is best known as the Place on the Moika River where Gregory Rasputin was murdered in 1916

After lunch we visited the Church of the Resurrection also known as the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. It is one of the most distinct churches in Russia and stands where Russia's great Emperor Alexander ll was mortally wounded