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Previously unknown organ works by the renowned composer Bach have been revealed and performed in the European nation for the premiere performance in three hundred twenty years.

Germany's Minister of Culture the government representative called the discovery of the pair of works a "great moment for the global music scene".

They first caught the attention of a Bach researcher in the early nineties when he was cataloguing the composer's papers at the Brussels archive.

The musical compositions - the Chaconne in D minor and Chaconne in G minor - were without dates and anonymous. The researcher spent the next 30 years working to verify the identity of the pieces.

Historic Performance

They were played at the St Thomas Church in the eastern German municipality, where the composer is interred and where he was employed as a cantor for over two decades.

The pair of works were performed by Dutch musician Ton Koopman, who said he was proud to be able to present them for the initial performance in over three centuries.

He said the pieces were "of a very high quality" and would be "a valuable resource for contemporary organ players, as they are also well-suited for smaller organs".

Musical Importance

They are thought to have been composed early in Bach's career, when he was employed as an music instructor in the town of the German town in Thuringia.

The researcher, who is now the director of the Bach research center in the city, said they demonstrated several features particular to the composer.

"Musically, the compositions also contain elements that can be identified in the composer's creations from that era, but not in those of different artists," he said.

They are considered to have been transcribed in 1705 by a student of Bach, the historical figure.

At a revealing of the compositions, Mr Wollny said he was "almost completely confident that Bach had created the two compositions" and they have now been incorporated into the authoritative listing of his works.