What is the St Petra Russian Symphony Orchestra?

Kerrison

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Jun 4, 2017, 6:14:00 AM6/4/17

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Click the link for a list of recordings by this orchestra, from Tchaikovsky onwards, none of which features any names of conductors or soloists. Pirated perhaps, a la Joyce Hatto, from elsewhere? ...

https://artistxite.co.uk/label/UN-Classical-Worlds?page=2

Andrew Clarke

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Jun 4, 2017, 8:06:58 PM6/4/17

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On Sunday, June 4, 2017 at 8:14:00 PM UTC+10, Kerrison wrote:
> Click the link for a list of recordings by this orchestra, from Tchaikovsky onwards, none of which features any names of conductors or soloists. Pirated perhaps, a la Joyce Hatto, from elsewhere? ...
>
> https://artistxite.co.uk/label/UN-Classical-Worlds?page=2

There is one soloist named, Joseph Alenin, pianist. It does sound like a combination of Josef Stalin and Lenin, but a swift search reveals that Alenin does exist as a surname.

The repertoire is quirky - how many people want to buy Haydn's symphony no. 1? - and there appears to be only one work per CD. And the price fluctuates according to the length of the work recorded.

The St Petra seems to appear on various extremely minor labels, and the obvious parallel is with Alfred Scholz. It could be a scratch recording band (also available for soundtracks, weddings, bar mitzvahs etc.) or it could, like many of Scholz's recordings, have originated in radio broadcasts by legitimate orchestras. Or it could be downright piracy.

I've just listened to the samples of the St Petra's vigorous Mahler 7 - the strings sound scratchy and one mike seems to have been lowered into the bell of the tuba. But there are plenty of other people in this group who are better qualified to judge sound quality and mebbe the possible origins of the recording.

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

Tony

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Jun 4, 2017, 11:34:22 PM6/4/17

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On Monday, 5 June 2017 03:06:58 UTC+3, Andrew Clarke wrote:
>
> It does sound like a combination of Josef Stalin and Lenin

Our hero Joseph Alenin has recorded most if not all of the Beethoven piano sonatas, Rachmaninoff's PC 3, Rubinstein's piano works for 4 hands (played only by Joseph Alenin, i.e. two dictators on a stool), Bach & Chopin PCs, Haydn sonatas and a lot else. It's kind of brilliant.

The scratch idea works -- a mix of students could pull this off.

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weary flake

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Jun 9, 2017, 11:27:29 AM6/9/17

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On 2017-06-05 00:06:56 +0000, Andrew Clarke said:

> On Sunday, June 4, 2017 at 8:14:00 PM UTC+10, Kerrison wrote:
>> Click the link for a list of recordings by this orchestra, from
>> Tchaikovsky onwards, none of which features any names of conductors or
>> soloists. Pirated perhaps, a la Joyce Hatto, from elsewhere? ...
>>
>> https://artistxite.co.uk/label/UN-Classical-Worlds?page=2
>
> There is one soloist named, Joseph Alenin, pianist. It does sound like
> a combination of Josef Stalin and Lenin, but a swift search reveals
> that Alenin does exist as a surname.
>
> The repertoire is quirky - how many people want to buy Haydn's symphony
> no. 1? - and there appears to be only one work per CD. And the price
> fluctuates according to the length of the work recorded.

The Petra Russian Symphony isn't on any CD, but download only.

weary flake

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Jun 11, 2017, 4:40:59 PM6/11/17

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On 2017-06-07 17:55:44 +0000, Gerald Martin said:

> Many are available as Amazon.com downloads at 89¢ each.

Pretty phony looking. "The St Petra Russian Symphony Orchestra"
performs Chopin Nocturnes 1 and 2 of opus 72, on the label
"UN Classical Worlds":

https://www.amazon.com/Chopin-Nocturne-Russian-Symphony-Orchestra/dp/B01MTUFUIV/

It sounds like a solo piano to me.