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Previously unknown organ compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach have been revealed and executed in the European nation for the premiere performance in over three centuries.

Germany's Cultural Affairs Minister the cultural official called the unearthing of the two pieces a "great moment for the musical community".

They first caught the attention of a musical scholar in the early nineties when he was documenting the composer's papers at the Royal Library of Belgium.

The organ works - the Chaconne composition in D minor and Chaconne in G minor - were dating unknown and without attribution. The scholar spent the next 30 years working to confirm the origin of the pieces.

Historic Performance

They were presented at the Thomas Church in the eastern German municipality, where the composer is laid to rest and where he served as a church musician for twenty-seven years.

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

He said the works were "remarkably sophisticated" and would be "an important addition for contemporary organ players, as they are also appropriate for smaller organs".

Cultural Relevance

They are believed to have been created at the beginning of Bach's professional life, when he was serving as an organ teacher in the municipality of the German town in Thuringia.

The researcher, who is now the head of the Bach Archive in the city, said they exhibited several features unique to the composer.

"Stylistically, the works also feature elements that can be identified in Bach's compositions from this period, but not in those of different artists," he said.

They are thought to have been transcribed in 1705 by a student of Bach, the musical student.

At a presentation of the pieces, the expert said he was "virtually certain that the composer had written the pair of works" and they have now been included into the authoritative listing of his works.