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Previously unknown organ compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach have been presented and played in Germany for the first time in over three centuries.

The country's Cultural Affairs Minister the government representative called the unearthing of the two compositions a "significant occasion for the global music scene".

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

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

Memorable Concert

They were presented at the St Thomas Church in the eastern German municipality, where Bach is buried and where he served as a cantor for over two decades.

The pair of works were executed by Dutch organist the musical performer, who said he was honored to be able to perform them for the initial performance in over three centuries.

He said the works were "exceptionally well-crafted" and would be "a great asset for organists today, as they are also well-suited for more compact instruments".

Musical Importance

They are thought to have been composed at the beginning of Bach's professional life, when he was serving as an organ instructor in the community of the German town in central Germany.

The scholar, who is now the head of the Bach Archive in Leipzig, said they exhibited several characteristics distinctive to the composer.

"Stylistically, the works also include aspects that can be found in Bach's works from this period, but not in those of different artists," he said.

They are thought to have been written down in the early eighteenth century by Bach's apprentice, the musical student.

At a unveiling of the compositions, Mr Wollny said he was "virtually certain that Bach had written the two pieces" and they have now been added into the recognized inventory of his works.