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Newly discovered organ compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach have been unveiled and executed in the central European country for the premiere performance in three hundred twenty years.

Germany's Cultural Affairs Minister the government representative labeled the discovery of the two pieces a "great moment for the world of music".

They initially attracted notice of a musical scholar in 1992 when he was documenting Bach manuscripts at the Belgian royal collection.

The organ pieces - the D minor Chaconne and Chaconne in G minor - were dating unknown and without attribution. Mr Wollny spent the next 30 years working to confirm the identity of the pieces.

Landmark Presentation

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

The two pieces were executed by organist from the Netherlands Ton Koopman, who said he was proud to be able to present them for the first time in three hundred twenty years.

He said the works were "remarkably sophisticated" and would be "a great asset for modern musicians, as they are also well-suited for smaller organs".

Historical Significance

They are believed to have been written during Bach's formative years, when he was working as an organ teacher in the community of the Thuringian town in Thuringia.

The scholar, who is now the head of the musical archive in the municipality, said they exhibited several qualities particular to the artist.

"In terms of style, the pieces also feature aspects that can be identified in Bach's compositions from that era, but not in those of other musicians," he said.

They are considered to have been transcribed in the early eighteenth century by Bach's apprentice, the musical student.

At a presentation of the works, the researcher said he was "almost completely confident that Bach had written the two compositions" and they have now been added into the official catalogue of his compositions.