Missing Bach Works Presented for First-Ever Performance in Over Three Centuries
Previously unknown organ works by the musical genius Bach have been revealed and executed in the central European country for the premiere performance in over three centuries.
The country's Minister of Culture Wolfram Weimer called the finding of the two compositions a "important event for the world of music".
They originally drew interest of a Bach researcher in 1992 when he was organizing the composer's papers at the Royal Library of Belgium.
The musical compositions - the Chaconne in D minor and Chaconne in G minor - were undated and unsigned. The researcher spent the next 30 years working to authenticate the identity of the pieces.
Landmark Presentation
They were presented at the Thomas Church in Leipzig, where Bach is buried and where he served as a music director for 27 years.
The two pieces were played by Dutch musician Ton Koopman, who said he was proud to be able to present them for the first time in three hundred twenty years.
He said the compositions were "exceptionally well-crafted" and would be "a great asset for contemporary organ players, as they are also appropriate for more compact instruments".
Musical Importance
They are believed to have been created early in Bach's career, when he was working as an organ instructor in the town of the German town in Thuringia.
The scholar, who is now the leader of the musical archive in the municipality, said they exhibited several qualities unique to the musical genius.
"In terms of style, the compositions also feature characteristics that can be identified in Bach's works from that era, but not in those of other musicians," he said.
They are thought to have been written down in the early eighteenth century by a student of Bach, the musical student.
At a revealing of the compositions, the expert said he was "virtually certain that the composer had written the two pieces" and they have now been added into the recognized inventory of his works.
- European Culture
- German Heritage
- Classical music
- Music