Two long-lost pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach were performed for the first time in 300 years.
Chaconne in D minor BWV 1178 and Chaconne in G minor BWV 1179 were discovered in 1992, but only recently authenticated. Musical historians managed to trace their heritage, and found they had likely been written by the teenage Bach around 1705 when he was working as a music teacher.
They contain compositional ideas that Bach pioneered, such as the use of fugue — a recurring theme played in one voice and echoed by others. The works were played by an organist in the Leipzig church where Bach is buried: An expert told The Guardian that they were “substantial pieces… quite identifiable with Bach’s early style.”