Lost Bach Works Presented for First Time in Three Centuries

Recently identified organ works by the musical genius Bach have been unveiled and played in the European nation for the initial occasion in three hundred twenty years.

The nation's Culture Minister the government representative described the finding of the pair of works a "significant occasion for the global music scene".

They first caught the attention of Peter Wollny in the early nineties when he was documenting the composer's papers at the Belgian royal collection.

The musical compositions - the D minor Chaconne and G minor Chaconne - were undated and anonymous. The researcher spent the next 30 years working to confirm the authorship of the pieces.

Memorable Concert

They were performed at the St Thomas Church in the eastern German municipality, where Bach is interred and where he was employed as a cantor for 27 years.

The compositions were played by Dutch organist Ton Koopman, who said he was honored to be able to perform them for the premiere in three hundred twenty years.

He said the compositions were "exceptionally well-crafted" and would be "a great asset for organists today, as they are also well-suited for smaller organs".

Historical Significance

They are considered to have been written early in Bach's career, when he was employed as an organ teacher in the community of the Thuringian town in the German region.

The scholar, who is now the head of the Bach Archive in the city, said they exhibited several features distinctive to the artist.

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

They are considered to have been written down in the early eighteenth century by Bach's apprentice, Salomon Günther John.

At a unveiling of the works, the expert said he was "virtually certain that Bach had created the pair of works" and they have now been included into the authoritative listing of his musical output.