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Previously unknown organ works by the musical genius Bach have been presented and played in Germany for the initial occasion in 320 years.

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

They first caught the attention of Peter Wollny in the early nineties when he was documenting historical musical documents at the Belgian royal collection.

The organ works - the Chaconne composition in D minor and Chaconne in G minor - were without dates and anonymous. Mr Wollny spent the subsequent thirty years working to authenticate the authorship of the pieces.

Landmark Presentation

They were played at the St Thomas Church in Leipzig, where Bach is buried and where he worked as a music director for twenty-seven years.

The pair of works were played by Dutch musician the musical performer, who said he was privileged to be able to present them for the first time in 320 years.

He said the compositions were "of a very high quality" and would be "an important addition for modern musicians, as they are also well-suited for smaller organs".

Cultural Relevance

They are believed to have been composed early in Bach's career, when he was serving as an music instructor in the community of Arnstadt in the German region.

The scholar, who is now the director of the Bach research center in Leipzig, said they displayed several characteristics unique to the musical genius.

"Stylistically, the pieces also feature elements that can be found in Bach's works from that era, but not in those of other musicians," he said.

They are considered to have been recorded in 1705 by Bach's apprentice, the musical student.

At a unveiling of the compositions, Mr Wollny said he was "virtually certain that the composer had composed the pair of works" and they have now been included into the recognized inventory of his musical output.