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Previously unknown musical pieces by the musical genius Bach have been unveiled and played in Germany for the initial occasion in 320 years.

The nation's Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer described the unearthing of the pair of works a "significant occasion for the musical community".

They first caught the attention of a musical scholar in 1992 when he was cataloguing Bach manuscripts at the Royal Library of Belgium.

The musical compositions - the D minor Chaconne and Chaconne in G minor - were without dates and unsigned. Mr Wollny spent the following three decades working to confirm the identity of the pieces.

Landmark Presentation

They were performed 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 executed by organist from the Netherlands Ton Koopman, who said he was honored to be able to perform them for the first time in over three centuries.

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

Musical Importance

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

The researcher, who is now the head of the musical archive in the city, said they demonstrated several features unique to the musical genius.

"Stylistically, the pieces also contain elements that can be identified in the composer's creations from that time, but not in those of different artists," he said.

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

At a revealing of the works, the researcher said he was "almost completely confident that the composer had composed the two compositions" and they have now been incorporated into the recognized inventory of his works.