Johann Sebastian Bach's Lost Organ Works Rediscovered After 320 Years

Tue Nov 18 2025 02:15:56 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

After more than three centuries, unknown organ pieces by Bach have been performed, marking a significant event in the music world. Discover the impact of this notable find.

Two previously unknown organ compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach, the Chaconne in D minor and Chaconne in G minor, were performed for the first time in 320 years at St Thomas Church in Leipzig. The works were identified after being cataloged by researcher Peter Wollny and have now been validated as authentic pieces by the composer.

Previously unknown organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach have been presented and performed in Germany for the first time in 320 years.

Germany's Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer called the discovery of the two pieces a great moment for the world of music.

They first caught the attention of Peter Wollny, a researcher of the German composer, in 1992 when he was cataloguing Bach manuscripts at the Royal Library of Belgium in Brussels.

The organ works - the Chaconne in D minor BWV 1178 and Chaconne in G minor BWV 1179 - were undated and unsigned. Wollny spent the next 30 years working to confirm the identity of the pieces.

They were performed at the St Thomas Church in Leipzig, where Bach is buried and worked as a cantor for 27 years. Dutch organist Ton Koopman expressed pride in being able to perform them after three centuries, describing the pieces as of a very high quality and suitable for smaller organs.

Wollny, now the director of the Bach Archive in Leipzig, stated that the works exhibit characteristics unique to Bach and asserted a 99.99% certainty of their authenticity. The pieces are believed to have been composed early in Bach's career during his time as an organ teacher in Arnstadt.