Lost Bach Compositions Played for First-Ever Performance in Over Three Centuries
Previously unknown organ works by the renowned composer Bach have been presented and played in Germany for the initial occasion in over three centuries.
The nation's Minister of Culture the government representative labeled the discovery of the pair of works a "great moment for the global music scene".
They initially attracted notice of Peter Wollny in 1992 when he was cataloguing historical musical documents at the Royal Library of Belgium.
The musical compositions - the Chaconne in D minor and G minor Chaconne - were undated and anonymous. The scholar spent the subsequent thirty years working to verify the authorship of the pieces.
Landmark Presentation
They were played at the Thomas Church in Leipzig, where Bach is laid to rest and where he was employed as a church musician for over two decades.
The compositions were performed by Dutch organist the renowned organist, who said he was privileged to be able to play them for the initial performance in 320 years.
He said the pieces were "exceptionally well-crafted" and would be "a valuable resource for organists today, as they are also well-suited for smaller organs".
Cultural Relevance
They are believed to have been composed at the beginning of Bach's professional life, when he was employed as an organ instructor in the community of the Thuringian town in Thuringia.
The scholar, who is now the head of the musical archive in the city, said they displayed several features distinctive to the musical genius.
"Stylistically, the compositions also contain characteristics that can be found in Bach's works from that time, but not in those of different artists," he said.
They are thought to have been written down in 1705 by a student of Bach, the musical student.
At a unveiling of the pieces, Mr Wollny said he was "virtually certain that the composer had written the pair of works" and they have now been incorporated into the authoritative listing of his musical output.
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