"A few years ago, Paavo J¤rvi proposed that I write a large-scale orchestral piece, which would also involve a choir. I agreed instantly â I had never tried the 'choral symphony' genre before. Developing the general concept and architecture of form, however, was considerably more time-consuming. I wanted the orchestra to perform the intense developments and the choir to present isolated passages as if from 'another reality', remaining transparent, brief, aphoristic. I compiled the lyrics from quotes from different historical eras and cultural backgrounds authored by more or less famous persons and ranging from Buddha to Jimi Hendrix. And yet, when reading these thoughts as a whole, one actually gets the impression that this text was written by a single person. The unifying keywords are 'compassion' and 'love'. This also inspired the subtitle of my Symphony No. 7, "Pietas", which broadly means 'compassion' in Latin." â Erkki-Sven Tĵĵr

The work is dedicated to the Dalai Lama and was premiered by the hr-Sinfonieorchester, conducted by Paavo J¤rvi on 18 June 2009 in Frankfurt.

This A3 full score is available as part of the Peters Contemporary Library series. Choral and orchestral material are available for hire.