Vinyl pressings
by Béla Bartók · 1957
Violin Concerto was first pressed on vinyl in 1957. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
2 pressings came out in 1957, the album's first year, in 2 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.
MG 50140A FR2 I C1Runout side A / stamped, variant 1
MG 50140 B FR 6 I A2Runout side B / stamped, variant 1
MG 50140 A RFR-1 F JJRunout side A / etched, variant 2
MG 50140 B RFR-1 F JJRunout side B / etched, variant 2
YMG-50140-A.QR-2Side A / etched
YMG-50140-B-QR-1Side B / etched
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Canada | Mercury MG 50140First yearLP, Mono · Mono | LP, Mono · Mono |
| 1957 | US | Mercury MG 50140First yearLP, Mono · Mono | LP, Mono · Mono |
| 1958 | US | Mercury Living Presence SR90003 / Mercury Living Presence SR-90003LP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Canada | Mercury Wing SRW 18104LP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| 1969 | US | Mercury Wing SRW 18104LP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | US | Mercury SRI 75002LP, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Reissue, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | Canada | Mercury SR-90003LP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| ? | US | Mercury SR-90003, SR90003LP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| ? | US | Mercury Wing SRW 18104LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| ? | US | Mercury Living Presence SR90003 / Mercury Living Presence SR-90003LP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| ? | US | Mercury Wing SRW 18104LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| ? | US | Mercury SR-90003, SR90003LP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
12 vinyl pressings of Violin Concerto are listed here, from 2 countries, released between 1957 and 1973.
The earliest pressings are from 1957, in US, Canada. One of them is Mercury MG 50140.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use MG 50140) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, MG 50140A FR2 I C1 and MG 50140 B FR 6 I A2. 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
