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Recently identified musical pieces by the musical genius Bach have been presented and played in the central European country for the first time in over three centuries.

Germany's Cultural Affairs Minister Wolfram Weimer labeled the finding of the two compositions a "great moment for the world of music".

They first caught the attention of Peter Wollny in 1992 when he was organizing Bach manuscripts at the Belgian royal collection.

The organ pieces - the Chaconne in D minor and G minor Chaconne - were without dates and anonymous. Mr Wollny spent the following three decades working to verify the identity of the pieces.

Historic Performance

They were performed at the Thomas Church in the eastern German municipality, where Bach is laid to rest and where he served as a cantor for twenty-seven years.

The compositions were executed by organist from the Netherlands Ton Koopman, who said he was privileged to be able to perform them for the premiere in three hundred twenty years.

He said the pieces were "exceptionally well-crafted" and would be "a great asset for contemporary organ players, as they are also appropriate for smaller organs".

Musical Importance

They are considered to have been composed at the beginning of Bach's professional life, when he was serving as an organ instructor in the town of Arnstadt in Thuringia.

The researcher, who is now the head of the Bach Archive in the city, said they demonstrated several features distinctive to the artist.

"Stylistically, the compositions also include aspects that can be observed in Bach's works from this period, but not in those of any other composer," he said.

They are believed to have been transcribed in 1705 by a student of Bach, the historical figure.

At a unveiling of the pieces, Mr Wollny said he was "99.99% sure that the composer had created the two compositions" and they have now been added into the authoritative listing of his musical output.