Lost Johann Sebastian Bach Works Presented for First-Ever Performance in Three Centuries

Recently identified organ compositions by the musical genius Bach have been unveiled and played in Germany for the premiere performance in over three centuries.

The country's Minister of Culture the government representative labeled the discovery of the pair of works a "important event for the world of music".

They initially attracted notice of a musical scholar in the early nineties when he was organizing historical musical documents at the Royal Library of Belgium.

The organ pieces - the D minor Chaconne and Chaconne in G minor - were dating unknown and unsigned. The scholar spent the subsequent thirty years working to confirm the identity of the pieces.

Historic Performance

They were played at the historic Leipzig church in the German city, where Bach is laid to rest and where he was employed as a music director for twenty-seven years.

The compositions were executed by organist from the Netherlands Ton Koopman, who said he was privileged to be able to present them for the first time in 320 years.

He said the pieces were "exceptionally well-crafted" and would be "an important addition for modern musicians, as they are also suitable for smaller organs".

Cultural Relevance

They are believed to have been created at the beginning of Bach's professional life, when he was working as an organ teacher in the community of the Thuringian town in Thuringia.

Mr Wollny, who is now the leader of the Bach research center in the city, said they exhibited several characteristics distinctive to the composer.

"In terms of style, the pieces also include characteristics that can be found in Bach's compositions from this period, but not in those of other musicians," he said.

They are believed to have been transcribed in 1705 by one of Bach's pupils, the historical figure.

At a presentation of the works, Mr Wollny said he was "almost completely confident that the composer had written the two pieces" and they have now been added into the recognized inventory of his works.