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Recently identified organ compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach have been presented and executed in the central European country for the premiere performance in 320 years.

Germany's Minister of Culture the cultural official described the unearthing of the two compositions a "great moment for the musical community".

They first caught the attention of a Bach researcher in the early nineties when he was documenting historical musical documents at the Royal Library of Belgium.

The musical compositions - the Chaconne composition in D minor and Chaconne in G minor - were undated and anonymous. The researcher spent the next 30 years working to verify the origin of the pieces.

Landmark Presentation

They were played at the historic Leipzig church in the eastern German municipality, where Bach is laid to rest and where he was employed as a music director for 27 years.

The compositions were performed by Dutch organist the musical performer, who said he was privileged to be able to perform them for the initial performance in over three centuries.

He said the pieces were "exceptionally well-crafted" and would be "a valuable resource for contemporary organ players, as they are also appropriate for smaller organs".

Musical Importance

They are believed to have been written during Bach's formative years, when he was serving as an organ instructor in the municipality of Arnstadt in Thuringia.

The researcher, who is now the head of the musical archive in the municipality, said they demonstrated several qualities particular to the composer.

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

They are thought to have been written down in 1705 by one of Bach's pupils, Salomon Günther John.

At a revealing of the pieces, Mr Wollny said he was "virtually certain that Bach had composed the two compositions" and they have now been added into the official catalogue of his compositions.