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Previously unknown organ works by the renowned composer Bach have been revealed and performed in Germany for the premiere performance in three hundred twenty years.

Germany's Minister of Culture the cultural official described the discovery of the pair of works a "great moment for the musical community".

They initially attracted notice of Peter Wollny in the early nineties when he was documenting Bach manuscripts at the Brussels archive.

The organ pieces - the Chaconne in D minor and Chaconne in G minor - were undated and anonymous. Mr Wollny spent the subsequent thirty years working to confirm the identity of the pieces.

Memorable Concert

They were played at the St Thomas Church in Leipzig, where the composer is buried and where he worked as a cantor for over two decades.

The two pieces were executed by Dutch organist Ton Koopman, who said he was proud to be able to present them for the premiere in three hundred twenty years.

He said the works were "exceptionally well-crafted" and would be "a valuable resource for organists today, as they are also well-suited for reduced-scale organs".

Cultural Relevance

They are thought to have been composed early in Bach's career, when he was employed as an organ instructor in the town of the Thuringian town in Thuringia.

Mr Wollny, who is now the leader of the musical archive in the city, said they demonstrated several qualities particular to the artist.

"In terms of style, the compositions also contain aspects that can be found in Bach's works from this period, but not in those of other musicians," he said.

They are thought to have been transcribed in 1705 by a student of Bach, Salomon Günther John.

At a unveiling of the pieces, Mr Wollny said he was "virtually certain that the composer had written the two compositions" and they have now been added into the official catalogue of his musical output.