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Previously unknown musical pieces by the renowned composer Bach have been unveiled and played in the central European country for the first time in over three centuries.

The country's Minister of Culture Wolfram Weimer described the finding of the two pieces a "great moment for the world of music".

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

The organ works - the D minor Chaconne and Chaconne in G minor - were undated and without attribution. Mr Wollny spent the next 30 years working to authenticate the authorship of the pieces.

Historic Performance

They were presented at the historic Leipzig church in the German city, where the composer is laid to rest and where he served as a church musician for 27 years.

The compositions were played by organist from the Netherlands Ton Koopman, who said he was honored to be able to present them for the initial performance in three hundred twenty years.

He said the works 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".

Historical Significance

They are thought to have been composed early in Bach's career, when he was employed as an organ instructor in the community of Arnstadt in the German region.

The researcher, who is now the leader of the Bach Archive in the municipality, said they exhibited several qualities particular to the composer.

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

They are considered to have been written down in 1705 by one of Bach's pupils, the historical figure.

At a unveiling of the compositions, the researcher said he was "virtually certain that Bach had created the two pieces" and they have now been included into the official catalogue of his musical output.