A previously undiscovered piece by Benjamin Britten, inspired by his visit to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp shortly after its liberation, is set to receive its world premiere in Bergen, Norway, 80 years after the end of World War II. The composition, titled Belsen Elegy, was uncovered among Britten's manuscripts and will be performed by the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra on 15 August 2026.
Discovery and historical context
The piece was discovered by musicologist Dr. Emily Thompson while cataloguing Britten's papers at the Britten-Pears Foundation in Aldeburgh. She found a score marked 'For Yehudi' with annotations dated June 1945. Britten had visited Bergen-Belsen with violinist Yehudi Menuhin in May 1945, just weeks after the camp's liberation. Menuhin later wrote in his autobiography that the experience was 'the most harrowing of my life'. Britten, deeply affected, composed the elegy as a private tribute.
According to the Britten-Pears Foundation, the manuscript remained in Britten's personal collection and was never performed or published. The work is a short orchestral piece lasting about eight minutes, described by Thompson as 'a haunting, sparse meditation on loss and memory'.
Connection to Holocaust survivor Anita Lasker-Wallfisch
The premiere will feature a spoken word element from Holocaust survivor and cellist Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, who was imprisoned at Auschwitz and later became a founding member of the English Chamber Orchestra. Lasker-Wallfisch, now 100, will read a poem she wrote about her experiences. 'Britten's music speaks to the silence that follows atrocity,' she said in a statement. 'It is an honour to be part of bringing this work to light.'
The performance will also include Britten's War Requiem and works by other composers affected by the Holocaust. The Bergen Philharmonic's music director, Edward Gardner, will conduct. 'This is a profound addition to Britten's legacy,' Gardner said. 'The elegy is raw, unpolished, but deeply moving.'
Impact and legacy
The discovery has generated significant interest among music historians and Holocaust memorial organisations. The piece is seen as a rare musical document of the immediate post-liberation period. Dr. Thompson noted that Britten rarely spoke of his visit, and the elegy may have been a personal way to process the trauma. The premiere coincides with the 80th anniversary of the Nuremberg trials and ongoing efforts to preserve Holocaust memory.
Tickets for the premiere sold out within hours of announcement, with a live broadcast planned on BBC Radio 3. A recording is expected to be released later in 2026 on the Decca label.
