Long-Forgotten Johann Sebastian Bach Works Played for First Time in Three Centuries
Recently identified organ works by the musical genius Bach have been presented and performed in the European nation for the premiere performance in three hundred twenty years.
The nation's Cultural Affairs Minister Wolfram Weimer described the discovery of the pair of works a "significant occasion for the musical community".
They initially attracted notice of a musical scholar in 1992 when he was organizing Bach manuscripts at the Brussels archive.
The organ works - the Chaconne composition in D minor and G minor composition - were dating unknown and anonymous. The scholar spent the following three decades working to verify the identity of the pieces.
Historic Performance
They were performed at the Thomas Church in the eastern German municipality, where the composer is interred and where he worked as a cantor for over two decades.
The pair of works were performed by organist from the Netherlands the musical performer, who said he was proud to be able to perform them for the first time in over three centuries.
He said the compositions were "of a very high quality" and would be "a great asset for organists today, as they are also well-suited for more compact instruments".
Historical Significance
They are thought to have been composed at the beginning of Bach's professional life, when he was employed as an organ instructor in the municipality of the Thuringian town in the German region.
Mr Wollny, who is now the director of the Bach research center in Leipzig, said they demonstrated several features distinctive to the musical genius.
"Stylistically, the compositions also include elements that can be identified in Bach's compositions from this period, but not in those of different artists," he said.
They are believed to have been transcribed in 1705 by a student of Bach, Salomon Günther John.
At a unveiling of the compositions, the expert said he was "99.99% sure that the composer had created the two compositions" and they have now been incorporated into the official catalogue of his works.
- European Culture
- Germany
- Classical music
- Performance Arts
