Leipzig Bach Archive Director Identifies Two Unknown Organ Compositions as Works of Johann Sebastian Bach
First Performance in 320 Years to Be Livestreamed from St Thomas’ Church, Leipzig
Leipzig, Germany – On Monday 17 November, 2025, the musical world was forever changed as Leipzig Bach Archive director, Peter Wollny, identified two previously unknown organ compositions as the work of legendary composer Johann Sebastian Bach. In a historic livestreamed ceremony from St Thomas’ Church in Leipzig, the city, along with the worldwide Bach community, celebrated the first performance of these works in over 320 years.
The two newly identified works, the Ciacona in D minor, BWV 1178, and the Ciacona in G minor, BWV 1179, were found by Wollny in the Royal Library of Belgium. Having been familiar with the pieces for over 30 years, Wollny was able to piece together the final clues that led to their attribution to Bach. This discovery was made as part of the BACH Research Portal, a project by the Saxon Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Leipzig, which aims to make all available archive resources about the entire Bach family of musicians publicly available in digital form.
Wollny expressed his gratitude for the support he received from his colleagues and the sponsors of the project. He stated, “I spent a long time searching for the missing piece of the puzzle in the attribution of the works – now the whole picture is revealed. We can state for once and for all that the copies were made around 1705 by Bach pupil Salomon Günther John. Moreover, stylistically the works contain features that one finds in Bach’s works from of this period, but in those of no other composer.”
The Leipzig Bach Archive, located in the composer’s principal place of work, is the musical centre of excellence for Johann Sebastian Bach. The BACH Research Portal, a project of the Saxon Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Leipzig, is headquartered at the Leipzig Bach Archive.
For press inquiries and photo requests, contact Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Peter Wollny at the Leipzig Bach Archive. Photos for coverage can be downloaded for free at https://www.picdrop.com/jensschlueterphotography/Bachwerke (password: Bach2025), available from 17 November 2025 at 5pm (CET). Photo credits: Leipzig Bach Archive/Jens Schlüter.
The world of music has been forever changed with the identification of these two unknown works as the work of one of the most influential composers of all time. The city of Leipzig, along with the worldwide Bach community, eagerly awaits the first performance of these pieces in over 320 years.
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