In brief
In a remarkable cultural event, two previously unknown organ compositions attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach were performed in Germany for the first time in 320 years. The works, discovered by researcher Peter Wollny, were showcased at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, where Bach served for many years. Dutch organist Ton Koopman expressed pride in performing these historically significant pieces, believed to have been composed early in Bach's career.
Previously unknown organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach have been presented and performed in Germany for the first time in 320 years.
Germany's Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer called the discovery of the two pieces a great moment for the world of music.
They first caught the attention of Peter Wollny, a researcher of the German composer and musician, in 1992 when he was cataloguing Bach manuscripts at the Royal Library of Belgium in Brussels.
The organ works - the Chaconne in D minor BWV 1178 and Chaconne in G minor BWV 1179 - were undated and unsigned. Wollny spent the next 30 years working to confirm the identity of the pieces.
They were performed at St Thomas Church in Leipzig, where Bach is buried and where he worked as a cantor for 27 years.
The two pieces were played by Dutch organist Ton Koopman, who said he was proud to be able to perform them for the first time in 320 years. He remarked that the pieces were of a very high quality and would be a great asset for organists today, as they are also suitable for smaller organs.
These compositions are believed to have been created early in Bach's career while he was teaching organ in Arnstadt, Thuringia. Wollny, now the director of the Bach Archive in Leipzig, noted that the pieces display characteristics unique to Bach's style.
According to him, Stylistically, the works also contain features that can be found in Bach's works from this period, but not in those of any other composer. They are thought to have been documented in 1705 by one of Bach's pupils, Salomon Günther John.
During a presentation of the works, Wollny confidently stated he was 99.99% sure that Bach had written the two pieces, which have now been added to the official catalogue of his works.
