A dark, complex masterwork that has grown in stature for decades, this record is one of the Italian scene’s most intense statements, so which edition of Ys should you buy is a clear choice with one title to avoid confusing. The 1972 original is the anchor.

Why this album is a special case

Il Balletto di Bronzo made this record its towering achievement, and it exists only in its original Italian form, with no English re-recording. Its editions are numerous but consistent: a steady run of CDs and vinyl reissues, including audiophile Japanese pressings. One caution for a buyer is that a separately titled later release with a similar name is a different record, not a reissue of this album. With that set aside, the choice is mostly between a standard CD and an audiophile edition.

The original release

The album was released in 1972 as a gatefold LP on Polydor, with the catalogue number 2448 003. No UK chart entry is verified in the sources this guide relies on. An original Polydor gatefold in clean condition is the collector’s reference for this title, and its reputation has made clean early copies increasingly sought after.

The reissues that matter

The album was reissued on LP in 1974 and in Japan in 1982, reached CD in Japan in 1989, and appeared on an Italian CD in 1993. A Japanese remaster followed in 2001 and a high-quality Japanese CD in 2010, with a deluxe vinyl edition in 2014 and further coloured and heavyweight pressings through the late 2010s and early 2020s. A separately titled later release should not be mistaken for a reissue of this album; check the exact title before buying.

Remasters and remixes

No 5.1 surround, SACD or Dolby Atmos mix of this album is confirmed in the sources this guide relies on, so this page does not claim one. The Japanese high-quality CD and the remasters are stereo, so the upgrade path is about the quality of the stereo transfer rather than multi-channel sound. As elsewhere, treat any advertised surround edition with caution until the disc itself lists a multi-channel mix.

Which one to buy

If you want the album simply, the 1993 Italian CD or the 2001 Japanese remaster is the dependable choice. If you want the best sound, the 2010 Japanese high-quality CD or the 2014 deluxe vinyl are the audiophile options. If you collect, an original 1972 Polydor 2448 003 gatefold is the target. Just be sure the copy you buy is this album and not the similarly named later release, which is a separate record.

Go deeper

The same edition questions run through the wider catalogue. If the vocabulary of pressings is unfamiliar, see what a remaster, an original pressing or a reissue, Japanese pressings, the most collectable pressings actually mean. The overview lives on the reissues and editions guide, and the record itself sits among the best progressive rock albums.

One note on how this guide is put together. Every year, label and format here is checked against English-language discographies rather than trusted to memory, because the surest way to waste your money is to chase an edition that does not exist as described. Where a mix or a pressing could not be confirmed, it is left out rather than guessed at, and where a chart placing belongs to a later reissue rather than the original run, that is said plainly. The point of a buying guide is that you can act on it, so the harder facts are the ones worth getting right. Two habits make buying any of these records easier. The first is to read the catalogue number and the pressing year off the disc or the sleeve, rather than trusting a listing’s title alone, since the same artwork was reused across editions that sound and contain quite different things. The second is to weigh condition against rarity: a common album in clean, complete shape is almost always a better buy than a scarce one that has been played hard, and a reissue you will actually enjoy beats an original you are afraid to handle.

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