Lost Bach Compositions Presented for First Time in 320 Years
Recently identified organ works by the renowned composer Bach have been unveiled and performed in the European nation for the premiere performance in three hundred twenty years.
The country's Cultural Affairs Minister Wolfram Weimer called the finding of the two pieces a "great moment for the musical community".
They initially attracted notice of Peter Wollny in 1992 when he was organizing historical musical documents at the Belgian royal collection.
The musical compositions - the Chaconne in D minor and Chaconne in G minor - were undated and anonymous. The scholar spent the following three decades working to confirm the origin of the pieces.
Historic Performance
They were presented at the historic Leipzig church in the eastern German municipality, where the composer is laid to rest and where he served as a cantor for twenty-seven years.
The pair of works were performed by Dutch musician the renowned organist, who said he was privileged to be able to play them for the premiere in over three centuries.
He said the pieces were "of a very high quality" and would be "a great asset for organists today, as they are also well-suited for reduced-scale organs".
Musical Importance
They are considered to have been created at the beginning of Bach's professional life, when he was employed as an music instructor in the community of the Thuringian town in the German region.
The researcher, who is now the head of the musical archive in the municipality, said they demonstrated several features particular to the composer.
"In terms of style, the works also contain characteristics that can be identified in Bach's works from this period, but not in those of other musicians," he said.
They are thought to have been recorded in 1705 by a student of Bach, the musical student.
At a unveiling of the pieces, Mr Wollny said he was "virtually certain that Bach had written the pair of works" and they have now been incorporated into the recognized inventory of his compositions.
- European Culture
- German Culture
- Orchestral works
- Music