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Recently identified organ compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach have been unveiled and executed in Germany for the premiere performance in 320 years.

The nation's Minister of Culture Wolfram Weimer described the unearthing of the two compositions a "great moment for the world of music".

They initially attracted notice of a Bach researcher in 1992 when he was cataloguing historical musical documents at the Brussels archive.

The organ works - the Chaconne composition in D minor and G minor composition - were undated and anonymous. The scholar spent the following three decades working to verify the authorship of the pieces.

Historic Performance

They were presented at the Thomas Church in Leipzig, where Bach is interred and where he worked as a cantor for twenty-seven years.

The pair of works were performed by Dutch musician the renowned organist, who said he was privileged to be able to present them for the initial performance in over three centuries.

He said the compositions were "remarkably sophisticated" and would be "a valuable resource for organists today, as they are also suitable for more compact instruments".

Cultural Relevance

They are thought to have been created at the beginning of Bach's professional life, when he was employed as an organ instructor in the municipality of the Thuringian town in Thuringia.

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

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

They are thought to have been transcribed in 1705 by Bach's apprentice, Salomon Günther John.

At a unveiling of the pieces, the researcher said he was "99.99% sure that the composer had created the pair of works" and they have now been added into the authoritative listing of his works.