Vinyl pressings
by Béla Bartók · 1963
Bluebeard's Castle (Complete Opera) was first pressed on vinyl in 1963. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
8 pressings came out in 1963, the album's first year, in 4 countries. Compare the label and catalog number on your copy, then the codes etched or stamped in the runout groove (the dead wax around the label): they are the surest sign of an early pressing.
SR-90311A-RFR-1 ꜰ P126Runout side A - machine stamped - this variant
SR-90311B-RFR-1 ꜰ P126Runout side B - machine stamped - this variant
SR90311AMatrix on label - side A
SR90311BMatrix on label - side B
SR-90311A-RFR-1 ꜰ P126
SR-90311B-RFR-1 ꜰ P126
SR90311AA-Side Matrix on label
SR90311BB-Side Matrix on label
SR-90311A-EFR-1Runout side A - machine stamped - this variant
SR-90311B-EFR-1Runout side B - machine stamped - this variant
SR90311Matrix on label - side A
SR90311Matrix on label - side B
SR-90311A-RFR-3 AA 83840 3 1Y 1 115Side 1
SR-90311B-RFR-3 P17 AA 83840 3 2Y 1 113Side 2
Not sure how to read the runout? See matrix numbers, runout and dead wax and how to tell a first pressing.
By decade, oldest first. Open a pressing for its full label, barcode and runout details.
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | New Zealand | Mercury MG50311First yearLP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| 1963 | Netherlands | Philips 838 403 AYFirst yearLP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| 1963 | Netherlands | Philips A 04903 LFirst yearLP, Mono · Mono | LP, Mono · Mono |
| 1963 | UK | Mercury AMS 16140 / Mercury SR90311First yearLP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| 1963 | UK | Mercury MMA. 11190First yearLP, Album, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Mono · Mono |
| 1963 | US | Mercury SR90311First yearLP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| 1963 | US | Mercury MG50311First yearLP, Album, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Mono · Mono |
| 1963 | US | Mercury SR90311First yearLP, Promo, Stereo · Promo | LP, Promo, Stereo · Promo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | Argentina | Philips 87018-ALLP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| ? | France | Philips 411 100-1LP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| ? | US | Mercury SR90311 / Mercury Living Presence SR90311LP, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Reissue, Stereo |
11 vinyl pressings of Bluebeard's Castle (Complete Opera) are listed here, from 6 countries.
The earliest pressings are from 1963, in US, UK, Netherlands, New Zealand. One of them is Mercury SR90311, released April 1963.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use SR90311, MG50311, AMS 16140, MMA. 11190) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, SR-90311A-RFR-1 ꜰ P126 and SR-90311B-RFR-1 ꜰ P126. Later reissues often keep the catalog number but change the label design or the runout codes.
It depends on which pressing you have and on the condition of the record and its sleeve. Early pressings from the album's home country in near mint condition are usually worth the most; common later reissues are worth far less. Scan your copy with VinylLens to see its value for every grade.
Concerto For Orchestra
1956 · 43 pressings
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celesta / Mathis Der Maler
1961 · 39 pressings
Concerto For Orchestra / Dance Suite
1965 · 39 pressings
Klavierkonzerte Nr. 2 & 3 - Piano Concertos Nos. 2 And 3
1960 · 37 pressings
Concerto For Orchestra
1966 · 36 pressings
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celesta / Hungarian Sketches
1960 · 31 pressings
