UK
1958- Label and catalog number
- Pye Golden Guinea Records GSGL 10062-1/3
- Format
- LP, Stereo
Georg Friedrich HändelHandel's Messiah (The Original Manuscript)
Vinyl pressings
Handel's Messiah (The Original Manuscript)
by Georg Friedrich Händel · 1958
20 pressings4 countriesBaroqueOratorioClassical
Handel's Messiah was first pressed on vinyl in 1958. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
How to spot a first pressing of Handel's Messiah
3 pressings came out in 1958, 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.
UK
1958- Label and catalog number
- Pye Golden Guinea Records GSGL 10062-1/3
- Format
- LP, Stereo · Black
US
November 1958- Label and catalog number
- Somerset PCC-201
- Format
- LP, Album, Mono, Box Set
- Runout / matrix
201-AMatrix A
201-BMatrix B
201-CMatrix C
201-DMatrix D
Not sure how to read the runout? See matrix numbers, runout and dead wax and how to tell a first pressing.
All 20 vinyl pressings
By decade, oldest first. Open a pressing for its full label, barcode and runout details.
1950s5 pressings
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | UK | Pye Golden Guinea Records GSGL 10062-1/3First yearLP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| 1958 | UK | Pye Golden Guinea Records GSGL 10062-1/3First yearLP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| 1958 | US | Somerset PCC-201First yearLP, Album, Mono, Box Set · Mono | LP, Album, Mono, Box Set · Mono |
| 1959 | UK | Pye Golden Guinea Records GGL 0062-1/3LP, Mono · Mono | LP, Mono · Mono |
| 1959 | US | Stereo-Fidelity SFCC-201LP, Stereo, Box Set, Album | LP, Stereo, Box Set, Album |
1960s5 pressings
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Germany | Somerset CL-542LP, Mono, Box Set · Mono | LP, Mono, Box Set · Mono |
| 1961 | Germany | Somerset CL-542LP, Stereo, Box Set | LP, Stereo, Box Set |
| 1963 | US | Musical Heritage Society MHS 582/583/584LP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| 1966 | UK | Marble Arch MAL 576LP, Mono · Mono | LP, Mono · Mono |
| 1966 | UK | Marble Arch MALS 576LP, Stereo, Box Set | LP, Stereo, Box Set |
1970s1 pressing
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | US | Alshire ASC 4LP, Album, Stereo, Box Set | LP, Album, Stereo, Box Set |
1980s2 pressings
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | US | Sine Qua Non SQN 7780/3 T-1019LP, Stereo, Box Set, Compilation | LP, Stereo, Box Set, Compilation |
| 1983 | UK | Ronco RML 102LP, Album, Stereo, Box Set | LP, Album, Stereo, Box Set |
Year unknown7 pressings
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | Australia | Gem MS-08LP, Stereo, Box Set | LP, Stereo, Box Set |
| ? | US | Audio Spectrum ASC-10033-3LP, Album, Stereo, Box Set | LP, Album, Stereo, Box Set |
| ? | US | Audio Spectrum ASC 10033-3LP, Stereo, Box Set | LP, Stereo, Box Set |
| ? | US | Birdwing BW3-2005LP, Stereo, Box Set, Reissue | LP, Stereo, Box Set, Reissue |
| ? | US | Audio Spectrum ASC-10033-3LP, Album, Stereo, Box Set | LP, Album, Stereo, Box Set |
| ? | US | Audio Spectrum ASC-10033-3 / Audio Spectrum ASC 4LP, Album, Stereo, Box Set | LP, Album, Stereo, Box Set |
| ? | US | Audio Spectrum ASC-10033-3LP, Album, Stereo, Box Set | LP, Album, Stereo, Box Set |
Tracklist
- A1Overture
- A2Comfort Ye
- A3Ev'ry Valley Shall Be Exalted
- A4And The Glory Of The Lord
- A5Thus Saith The Lord
- A6But Who May Abide
- B1And He Shall Purify
- B2Behold A Virgin
- B3Oh Thou That Tellest
- B4For, Behold, Darkness Shall Cover The Earth
- B5The People That Walked In Darkness
- B6For Unto Us A Child Is Born
- B7Pastoral Symphony
- C1There Were Shepherds Abiding In The Fields
- C2Glory To God
- C3Rejoice Greatly
- C4Then Shall The Eyes Of The Blind Be Open'd
- C5He Shall Feed His Flock
- C6His Yolk Is Easy
- C7Behold The Lamb Of God
- D1He Was Despised And Rejected Of Men
- D2Surely, He Hath Borne Our Griefs
- D3And With His Stripes We Are Healed
- D4All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray
- D5All They That See Him
- D6He Trusted In God
- D7Thy Rebuke Hath Broken His Heart
- D8He Was Cut Off From The Land Of The Living
- D9But Thou Didst Not Leave His Soul In Hell
- E1Lift Up Your Heads
- E2How Beautiful Are The Feet
- E3Why Do The Nations
- E4Let Us Break Their Bonds Asunder
- E5He That Dwelleth In Heaven
- E6Thou Shalt Break Them
- E7Hallelujah
- E8I Know That My Redeemer Liveth
- F1Since By Man Came Death
- F2For As In Adam
- F3Even So In Christ
- F4Behold, I Tell You A Mystery
- F5The Trumpet Shall Sound
- F6Worthy Is The Lamb
- F7Amen
Questions
How many vinyl pressings of Handel's Messiah are there?
20 vinyl pressings of Handel's Messiah are listed here, from 4 countries, released between 1958 and 1983.
When was Handel's Messiah first released on vinyl?
The earliest pressings are from 1958, in UK, US. One of them is Pye Golden Guinea Records GSGL 10062-1/3.
How do I tell if my copy of Handel's Messiah is a first pressing?
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use GSGL 10062-1/3, PCC-201) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above. Later reissues often keep the catalog number but change the label design or the runout codes.
How much is Handel's Messiah on vinyl worth?
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.
