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Recently identified organ compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach have been unveiled and performed in the central European country for the initial occasion in 320 years.

Germany's Cultural Affairs Minister Wolfram Weimer called the unearthing of the two compositions a "significant occasion for the world of music".

They originally drew interest of a musical scholar in 1992 when he was cataloguing Bach manuscripts at the Brussels archive.

The organ works - the Chaconne composition in D minor and G minor Chaconne - were undated and without attribution. The researcher spent the subsequent thirty years working to confirm the origin of the pieces.

Landmark Presentation

They were performed at the Thomas Church in Leipzig, where Bach is interred and where he served as a church musician for over two decades.

The pair of works were executed by Dutch musician Ton Koopman, who said he was proud to be able to present them for the initial performance in 320 years.

He said the compositions were "remarkably sophisticated" and would be "a valuable resource for contemporary organ players, as they are also well-suited for reduced-scale organs".

Historical Significance

They are considered to have been created early in Bach's career, when he was serving as an music instructor in the town of Arnstadt in central Germany.

Mr Wollny, who is now the head of the Bach research center in the municipality, said they demonstrated several characteristics distinctive to the composer.

"Stylistically, the works also feature aspects that can be observed in Bach's compositions from that time, but not in those of any other composer," he said.

They are believed to have been recorded in 1705 by a student of Bach, the historical figure.

At a presentation of the pieces, Mr Wollny said he was "99.99% sure that the composer had composed the two compositions" and they have now been added into the authoritative listing of his works.