🔗 Share this article

Newly discovered organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach have been revealed and executed in Germany for the premiere performance in over three centuries.

The nation's Culture Minister the government representative labeled the unearthing of the two pieces a "great moment for the musical community".

They first caught the attention of Peter Wollny in 1992 when he was organizing Bach manuscripts at the Belgian royal collection.

The musical compositions - the Chaconne in D minor and G minor Chaconne - were dating unknown and anonymous. Mr Wollny spent the next 30 years working to verify the identity of the pieces.

Memorable Concert

They were played at the Thomas Church in Leipzig, where the composer is interred and where he was employed as a cantor for twenty-seven years.

The pair of works were executed by Dutch musician Ton Koopman, who said he was privileged to be able to perform them for the initial performance in three hundred twenty years.

He said the pieces were "of a very high quality" and would be "a great asset for contemporary organ players, as they are also well-suited for smaller organs".

Historical Significance

They are believed to have been created during Bach's formative years, when he was employed as an organ instructor in the municipality of the German town in the German region.

The scholar, who is now the leader of the Bach research center in the municipality, said they displayed several characteristics distinctive to the musical genius.

"Musically, the compositions also feature aspects that can be found in Bach's compositions from this period, but not in those of different artists," he said.

They are believed to have been written down in 1705 by a student of Bach, the historical figure.

At a unveiling of the works, the researcher said he was "99.99% sure that Bach had created the two pieces" and they have now been included into the authoritative listing of his musical output.