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Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyThe Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71

Vinyl pressings

The Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71

by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky · 1962

10 pressings4 countriesRomanticBalletOrchestraClassical

The Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71 was first pressed on vinyl in 1962. 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 The Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71

3 pressings came out in 1962, 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

1962
Label and catalog number
Fontana BIG 421-Y/2-Y
Format
LP, Stereo
Runout / matrix

BIG✳421=1Y▽2//420 VVXSide 1 Runout

BIG422 =1Y✳1//420 VVXSide 2 Runout

BIG422 2Y✳420 VVVSide 3 Runout

BIG✳421 2Y=3=420 VVVSide 4 Runout

Full details of this pressing

UK

1962
Label and catalog number
Fontana BIG 321-L/2-L
Format
LP, Mono
Runout / matrix

B I G 321 1 L = 1 = 420 VVXSide 1 Runout

B I G 322 1 L 1 = 420 VXSide 2 Runout

B I G 322 2 L = 1 = 420 VVSide 3 Runout

B I G 321 2 // 420 VVXSide 4 Runout

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 10 vinyl pressings

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

1960s7 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1962UKFontana BIG 421-Y/2-YFirst yearLP, StereoLP, Stereo
1962UKFontana BIG 321-L/2-LFirst yearLP, Mono · MonoLP, Mono · Mono
1962USFontana BIG 321-L/2-LFirst yearLP, StereoLP, Stereo
1966USVanguard Everyman Classics SRV-168/9 SDLP, StereoLP, Stereo
1966USVanguard SRV-123/4-SDLP, Album, Promo, Stereo · PromoLP, Album, Promo, Stereo · Promo
1966USVanguard Everyman Classics SRV-168/9 SDLP, StereoLP, Stereo
1966USVanguard Everyman Classics SRV-168/9 SDLP, StereoLP, Stereo
1980s1 pressing
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1982ArgentinaMusic Hall 90.300.1LPLP
Year unknown2 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
?GermanyMetronome Juwel 0180.081LP, StereoLP, Stereo
?USVanguard SRV-123/4LP, Album, Promo, Mono · Promo, MonoLP, Album, Promo, Mono · Promo, Mono

Tracklist

  1. AAct One, First Scene (Beginning)
  2. BAct One, First Scene (End) + Second Scene
  3. CAct Two (Beginning)
  4. DAct Two (End)

Questions

How many vinyl pressings of The Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71 are there?

10 vinyl pressings of The Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71 are listed here, from 4 countries, released between 1962 and 1982.

When was The Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71 first released on vinyl?

The earliest pressings are from 1962, in US, UK. One of them is Fontana BIG 321-L/2-L.

How do I tell if my copy of The Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71 is a first pressing?

Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use BIG 321-L/2-L, BIG 421-Y/2-Y) 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 The Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71 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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