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Previously unknown organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach have been presented and played in the European nation for the first time in over three centuries.

The nation's Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer labeled the finding of the two compositions a "significant occasion for the musical community".

They initially attracted notice of a Bach researcher in 1992 when he was cataloguing Bach manuscripts at the Belgian royal collection.

The organ works - the Chaconne composition in D minor and G minor composition - were undated and without attribution. The researcher spent the following three decades working to authenticate the identity of the pieces.

Historic Performance

They were performed at the St Thomas Church in Leipzig, 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 organist from the Netherlands the renowned organist, who said he was proud to be able to play them for the initial performance in over three centuries.

He said the pieces were "of a very high quality" and would be "a great asset for modern musicians, as they are also suitable for more compact instruments".

Historical Significance

They are thought to have been created during Bach's formative years, when he was working as an organ teacher in the municipality of the German town in the German region.

The researcher, who is now the leader of the Bach research center in Leipzig, said they demonstrated several characteristics particular to the artist.

"Stylistically, the pieces also include elements 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 a student of Bach, Salomon Günther John.

At a presentation of the pieces, Mr Wollny said he was "almost completely confident that Bach had written the pair of works" and they have now been included into the recognized inventory of his compositions.