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Previously unknown organ works by the musical genius Bach have been revealed and performed in the central European country for the first time in over three centuries.

The nation's Minister of Culture the government representative called the unearthing of the two pieces a "significant occasion for the world of music".

They originally drew interest of Peter Wollny in 1992 when he was cataloguing Bach manuscripts at the Belgian royal collection.

The organ pieces - the D minor Chaconne and G minor composition - were without dates and unsigned. Mr Wollny spent the next 30 years working to confirm the identity of the pieces.

Historic Performance

They were presented at the St Thomas Church in Leipzig, where Bach is buried and where he served as a cantor for 27 years.

The pair of works were performed by Dutch musician Ton Koopman, who said he was privileged to be able to perform them for the first time in 320 years.

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

Historical Significance

They are believed to have been written during Bach's formative years, when he was employed as an organ teacher in the town of the German town in Thuringia.

Mr Wollny, who is now the head of the Bach Archive in Leipzig, said they demonstrated several qualities distinctive to the musical genius.

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

They are thought to have been transcribed in 1705 by one of Bach's pupils, the musical student.

At a unveiling of the pieces, the researcher said he was "99.99% sure that Bach had created the two compositions" and they have now been included into the recognized inventory of his musical output.