Opus

Profile:

Slovak record label since 1971.

History

Established in 1971 as the successor to the Supraphon Slovakia branch office, releasing mainly recordings by Slovak artists or with Slovak participation in all genres, as well as licensed releases from major international record companies. Privatized in 1990, owned by Forza Music s.r.o. since 2005.

Catalog # schemes ca. 1971–1990

90## #### = mono
91## #### = stereo
93## #### = digital recording (?)

Catalog# schemes ca. 1990–1998

91 ####-# ### —> the last three digits are possibly “boxed” on the cover: [#|#|#]

Retail price code suffix

The catalog number on the cover may have a retail price code suffix attached to it, for example “9113 1234 H”. However, the suffix has been used very inconsequently and is not a part of the actual catalog number. Often the actual retail price was instead printed on the cover or on the center labels.

Partial retail price code list:

e = Kcs 8,– (?, format?)
f = Kcs ?.– (7" Single)
g = Kcs 10,– (7" Single)
h = Kcs 12,– (7" Single)
ee = Kcs 16,– (7" EP)
ff = Kcs ??– (7" EP)
gg = Kcs 20,– (7" EP)
hh = Kcs 24.– (7" EP)
E = Kcs ??,– (10" LP)
F = Kcs ??,– (10" LP)
G = Kcs 36,– (10"/12" LP)
H = Kcs 44,– (12" LP)
ZA = Kcs 50.– (12" LP)
ZB = Kcs 60,– (12" LP)
ZD = Kcs 80,– (12" LP)
ZN = Kcs 120,– (12" LP)

Manufacturing date code

Most Czechoslovak vinyl records pressed between ca. 1967 and 1992 include a three-digit code on the side A center label: ## # The first two digits represent the year, the third digit the half-year of the pressing. For example, a record with code “75 2” on the label has been manufactured in the 2nd half of 1975.
Even if the manufacturing date differs from the sound recording copyright (? year), it doesn’t necessarily mean that a record is a re-press. Some releases might have been held back for up to a few years for bureaucratic or political reasons, and the code simply denotes the time window when a vinyl left the manufacturing plant.
First pressings manufactured ca. 1969–1974 sometimes didn’t contain the manufacturing date code at all, in favor of the total duration time for each vinyl side.
Represses are usually identical to the original releases, apart from this code on the label as well as different stamper codes. (Some later represses may have an updated catalog# scheme on the cover though, see above.)

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Catalog by Numbers

Opus 1-499
Opus 500-999
Opus 1000-1499
Opus 1500-1999
Opus 2000-2499

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Contact Info:

Opus a.s., Mlynske nivy 73, 827 99 Bratislava, Slovakia
City Hotel Bratislava, Seberiniho 9, 821 03 Bratislava, Slovakia
Phone +421 2 208 55 141, Fax +421 2 208 55 102
opus@forza.sk

Sites:
Opus

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