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Previously unknown organ compositions by the musical genius Bach have been revealed and played in the central European country for the premiere performance in over three centuries.

The nation's Minister of Culture the government representative called the discovery of the two pieces a "significant occasion for the world of music".

They originally drew interest of a Bach researcher in 1992 when he was documenting the composer's papers at the Belgian royal collection.

The musical compositions - the Chaconne composition in D minor and Chaconne in G minor - were undated and unsigned. The researcher spent the subsequent thirty years working to confirm the authorship of the pieces.

Historic Performance

They were performed at the historic Leipzig church in the German city, where the composer is interred and where he served as a cantor for twenty-seven years.

The pair of works were played by Dutch organist Ton Koopman, who said he was honored to be able to present them for the first time in 320 years.

He said the compositions were "exceptionally well-crafted" and would be "a great asset for modern musicians, as they are also suitable for reduced-scale organs".

Historical Significance

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

The scholar, who is now the director of the Bach research center in Leipzig, said they exhibited several features particular to the artist.

"Stylistically, the works also feature elements that can be observed in the composer's creations from that era, but not in those of any other composer," he said.

They are believed to have been written down in 1705 by Bach's apprentice, Salomon Günther John.

At a revealing of the compositions, the expert said he was "virtually certain that Bach had written the two compositions" and they have now been included into the authoritative listing of his compositions.