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Newly discovered musical pieces by the musical genius Bach have been unveiled and performed in the central European country for the initial occasion in 320 years.

Germany's Culture Minister the cultural official described the finding of the two compositions a "important event for the global music scene".

They first caught the attention of a musical scholar in 1992 when he was organizing the composer's papers at the Brussels archive.

The organ pieces - the Chaconne in D minor and G minor Chaconne - were undated and anonymous. Mr Wollny spent the following three decades working to authenticate the identity of the pieces.

Memorable Concert

They were played 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 two pieces were performed by Dutch organist Ton Koopman, who said he was proud to be able to perform them for the initial performance in three hundred twenty years.

He said the compositions were "remarkably sophisticated" and would be "a valuable resource for modern musicians, as they are also well-suited for more compact instruments".

Musical Importance

They are considered to have been written during Bach's formative years, when he was employed as an organ teacher in the town of the Thuringian town in central Germany.

Mr Wollny, who is now the leader of the Bach research center in the city, said they exhibited several features distinctive to the musical genius.

"Musically, the works also include characteristics that can be found in the composer's creations from that era, but not in those of any other composer," he said.

They are considered to have been transcribed in 1705 by one of Bach's pupils, the historical figure.

At a presentation of the works, the researcher said he was "almost completely confident that Bach had written the two compositions" and they have now been included into the authoritative listing of his works.