Dresdner Philharmonie / Herbert Kegel: conductor / Prager Radiochor / Pavel Kühn: chorus master / Prager Radio-Kinderchor / Cestimir Stasek: chorus master / Staatlicher Philharmoniechor von Litauen / Petras Bingelis: chorus master / Kari Lövaas: soprano / violetta Madjarova: alto / Sergey Larinas: tenor / Gunther Emmerlich: bass

Since 1980 Messiaen's former student Mikis Theodorakis has devoted himself mainly to symphonic music, composing a number of commissioned works, including the now available Symphony No. 7 for the Dresden Music Festival 1984.

With this work, also referred to as "spring symphony", Mikis Theodorakis makes his ideal of a "contemporary musical tragedy" come true, by combining elements of Western symphonic music with the musical tradition of his home country in his typical manner.