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Ludwig van BeethovenMoonlight Sonata / “Les Adieux” / “A Therese” / “Appassionata”

Vinyl pressings

Moonlight Sonata / “Les Adieux” / “A Therese” / “Appassionata”

by Ludwig van Beethoven · 1958

13 pressings7 countriesClassicalRomanticClassical

Moonlight Sonata 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 Moonlight Sonata

1 pressing came out in 1958, the album's first year. 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.

US

1958
Label and catalog number
Columbia Masterworks ML 5233
Format
LP, Album, Mono
Runout / matrix

XXLP42345-1A I (I = handwritten)Variant 1, Runout side A

XXLP42346-1B IAA (IAA = handwritten)Variant 1, Runout side B

XXLP42345-1FVariant 2, Runout side A

XXLP42346-1BVariant 2, Runout side B

Full details of this pressing

Not sure how to read the runout? See matrix numbers, runout and dead wax and how to tell a first pressing.

All 13 vinyl pressings

By decade, oldest first. Open a pressing for its full label, barcode and runout details.

1950s1 pressing
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1958USColumbia Masterworks ML 5233First yearLP, Album, Mono · MonoLP, Album, Mono · Mono
1970s4 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1972EuropeCBS S 61 311 / CBS 61311LPLP
1972GermanyCBS S 61 311LPLP
1972UKColumbia Masterworks ML 5233LPLP
1975FranceCBS CBS 61311LPLP
Year unknown8 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
?FrancePhilips A 01.308 LLP, Mono · MonoLP, Mono · Mono
?FrancePhilips A 01.308 L / Philips L 01.308 LLP, Mono · MonoLP, Mono · Mono
?GermanyCBS S 71007 / CBS ML 5233LP, StereoLP, Stereo
?GermanyMaestro 61945LP, StereoLP, Stereo
?GermanyPhilips A 01308 LLP, Mono · MonoLP, Mono · Mono
?GermanyPhilips A 01308 LLP, Mono · MonoLP, Mono · Mono
?JapanCBS/Sony SOCU 54LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · MonoLP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono
?NetherlandsPhilips A 01308 LLP, Mono · MonoLP, Mono · Mono

Tracklist

  1. Sonata No. 14 In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 (“Moonlight”)
  2. Sonata No. 26 In E-flat Major, Op. 81a (“Les Adieux”)
  3. Sonata No. 24 In F-sharp Major, Op. 78 (“À Thérèse”)
  4. Sonata No. 23 In F Minor, Op. 57 (“Appassionata”)

Questions

How many vinyl pressings of Moonlight Sonata are there?

13 vinyl pressings of Moonlight Sonata are listed here, from 7 countries, released between 1958 and 1975.

When was Moonlight Sonata first released on vinyl?

The earliest pressings are from 1958, in US. One of them is Columbia Masterworks ML 5233.

How do I tell if my copy of Moonlight Sonata is a first pressing?

Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use ML 5233) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, XXLP42345-1A I (I = handwritten) and XXLP42346-1B IAA (IAA = handwritten). Later reissues often keep the catalog number but change the label design or the runout codes.

How much is Moonlight Sonata 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.

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