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Newly discovered organ compositions by the musical genius Bach have been revealed and performed in the European nation for the first time in over three centuries.

The country's Culture Minister the cultural official labeled the unearthing of the two pieces a "great moment for the musical community".

They first caught the attention of a Bach researcher in the early nineties when he was organizing historical musical documents at the Brussels archive.

The organ works - the Chaconne in D minor and Chaconne in G minor - were without dates and unsigned. The scholar spent the next 30 years working to confirm the authorship of the pieces.

Memorable Concert

They were played at the St Thomas Church in Leipzig, where Bach is laid to rest and where he was employed as a cantor for 27 years.

The pair of works were played by Dutch organist the musical performer, who said he was privileged to be able to present them for the premiere in over three centuries.

He said the compositions were "of a very high quality" and would be "a great asset for organists today, as they are also suitable for smaller organs".

Musical Importance

They are considered to have been written early in Bach's career, when he was serving as an music instructor in the town of the German town in central Germany.

The researcher, who is now the director of the Bach Archive in Leipzig, said they demonstrated several characteristics particular to the musical genius.

"Musically, the pieces also contain characteristics that can be identified in Bach's works from that time, but not in those of any other composer," he said.

They are believed to have been recorded in 1705 by one of Bach's pupils, Salomon Günther John.

At a revealing of the pieces, the expert said he was "99.99% sure that Bach had created the pair of works" and they have now been added into the authoritative listing of his musical output.