🔗 Share this article

Previously unknown organ works by the musical genius Bach have been unveiled and performed in the central European country for the premiere performance in 320 years.

Germany's Cultural Affairs Minister the cultural official described the finding of the two compositions a "important event for the musical community".

They first caught the attention of a Bach researcher in 1992 when he was organizing the composer's papers at the Brussels archive.

The organ works - the Chaconne in D minor and Chaconne in G minor - were dating unknown and without attribution. Mr Wollny spent the subsequent thirty years working to confirm the authorship of the pieces.

Landmark Presentation

They were performed at the historic Leipzig church in the German city, where the composer is buried and where he worked as a cantor for 27 years.

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

He said the compositions were "exceptionally well-crafted" and would be "a valuable resource for contemporary organ players, as they are also suitable for reduced-scale organs".

Cultural Relevance

They are believed to have been written early in Bach's career, when he was serving as an organ instructor in the town of the German town in the German region.

The scholar, who is now the director of the musical archive in the city, said they displayed several characteristics particular to the artist.

"Stylistically, the works also include characteristics that can be identified in Bach's compositions from that time, but not in those of any other composer," he said.

They are thought to have been transcribed in 1705 by a student of Bach, the musical student.

At a presentation of the pieces, the expert said he was "99.99% sure that Bach had created the pair of works" and they have now been incorporated into the official catalogue of his musical output.