Newly discovered musical pieces by the renowned composer Bach have been presented and performed in the central European country for the first time in over three centuries.
The country's Minister of Culture the cultural official called the discovery of the two pieces a "significant occasion for the musical community".
They originally drew interest of a musical scholar in the early nineties when he was cataloguing historical musical documents at the Royal Library of Belgium.
The organ works - the Chaconne in D minor and G minor Chaconne - were without dates and unsigned. Mr Wollny spent the next 30 years working to verify the identity of the pieces.
Historic Performance
They were presented at the St Thomas Church in the German city, where Bach is laid to rest and where he was employed as a cantor for over two decades.
The compositions were performed by organist from the Netherlands the renowned organist, who said he was proud to be able to present them for the first time in three hundred twenty years.
He said the compositions were "exceptionally well-crafted" and would be "a great asset for modern musicians, as they are also appropriate for more compact instruments".
Cultural Relevance
They are believed to have been written at the beginning of Bach's professional life, when he was serving as an organ teacher in the municipality of the Thuringian town in the German region.
Mr Wollny, who is now the director of the Bach Archive in the city, said they demonstrated several characteristics unique to the composer.
"In terms of style, the pieces also feature elements that can be identified in Bach's compositions from this period, but not in those of any other composer," he said.
They are thought to have been transcribed in 1705 by Bach's apprentice, the musical student.
At a revealing of the pieces, the expert said he was "99.99% sure that the composer had composed the two compositions" and they have now been added into the authoritative listing of his compositions.
- Europe
- Germany
- Classical compositions
- Musical Arts
