The premiere of Bruckner's Seventh Symphony in 1884 was an immediate success with the public. It was with this powerful work that Bruckner, already in his 60s and long denied fame and recognition, achieved his long-awaited breakthrough. The key work in this late triumph was the Seventh Symphony. Composed between September 1881 and autumn 1883, it paved the way for a wider acceptance of his music. One reason for its success was that Bruckner was chosen by Richard Wagner's followers to fill the gap left by the Bayreuth master's death in February 1883.

Dutch conductor Bernard Haitink and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra enjoyed a long and intensive artistic collaboration, which came to an abrupt end with Haitink’s death in October 2021. BR-KLASSIK now presents outstanding and previously unreleased live recordings of concerts from past years. This recording of Bruckner's Seventh Symphony documents concerts given in November 1981 at the Herkulessaal of the Munich Residenz.