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Newly discovered organ works by the musical genius Bach have been presented and performed in Germany for the initial occasion in 320 years.

Germany's Cultural Affairs Minister the government representative called the finding of the two pieces a "important event for the musical community".

They initially attracted notice of Peter Wollny in 1992 when he was documenting the composer's papers at the Brussels archive.

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

Landmark Presentation

They were played at the Thomas Church in the eastern German municipality, where the composer is buried and where he served as a cantor for over two decades.

The two pieces were played by Dutch organist the musical performer, who said he was privileged to be able to perform them for the premiere in over three centuries.

He said the pieces were "remarkably sophisticated" and would be "a great asset for organists today, as they are also well-suited for reduced-scale organs".

Cultural Relevance

They are believed to have been created early in Bach's career, when he was employed as an music instructor in the community of the Thuringian town in the German region.

Mr Wollny, who is now the leader of the musical archive in the city, said they exhibited several qualities distinctive to the composer.

"In terms of style, the compositions also feature elements that can be observed in Bach's compositions from that time, but not in those of other musicians," he said.

They are believed to have been transcribed in the early eighteenth century by Bach's apprentice, the historical figure.

At a presentation of the works, Mr Wollny said he was "99.99% sure that the composer had created the two compositions" and they have now been included into the recognized inventory of his works.