Lost Bach Pieces Presented for First Time in Over Three Centuries
Recently identified organ compositions by the musical genius Bach have been revealed and performed in Germany for the initial occasion in over three centuries.
The country's Culture Minister the cultural official described the unearthing of the pair of works a "important event for the musical community".
They first caught the attention of Peter Wollny in 1992 when he was organizing the composer's papers at the Royal Library of Belgium.
The organ works - the D minor Chaconne and G minor Chaconne - were without dates and anonymous. The researcher spent the next 30 years working to confirm the origin of the pieces.
Historic Performance
They were played at the historic Leipzig church in the German city, where the composer is laid to rest and where he served as a music director for 27 years.
The compositions were performed by Dutch organist the musical performer, who said he was privileged to be able to play them for the initial performance in three hundred twenty years.
He said the compositions were "remarkably sophisticated" and would be "a valuable resource for modern musicians, as they are also suitable for reduced-scale organs".
Cultural Relevance
They are believed to have been written early in Bach's career, when he was serving as an organ teacher in the town of the Thuringian town in Thuringia.
The scholar, who is now the head of the musical archive in the municipality, said they displayed several characteristics particular to the composer.
"Stylistically, the works also include elements that can be found in Bach's compositions from that era, but not in those of any other composer," he said.
They are believed to have been transcribed in 1705 by one of Bach's pupils, Salomon Günther John.
At a unveiling of the pieces, Mr Wollny said he was "almost completely confident that the composer had created the pair of works" and they have now been included into the authoritative listing of his works.
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