"Peter Wollny has known the Ciacona in D minor and the Ciacona in G minor for more than 30 years now ever since he discovered the organ works at the Royal Library of Belgium. The handwritten manuscripts were from an unknown writer undated and unsigned. Yet Peter Wollny, now director of the Bach Archive in Leipzig , had a sense his discovery could actually be a hidden treasure, composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. His meticulous hunt for clues began."
""To confirm the pieces' identity, I searched for a long time for the missing piece of the puzzle," he remarked at the official ceremony for the newly discovered works. "Now, we have the whole picture." Peter Wollny presenting his discovery at the BachfestImage: Bach-Archiv Leipzig/Jens Schluter Performing the new Bach pieces The two secular organ works have now been performed for the first time in 320 years. They were performed at St Thomas Church in Leipzig where Bach was cantor for 27 years, from 1723 until his death in 1750 by renowned organist and conductor Ton Koopman. The president of the Bach Archive said he was proud to perform them. "These pieces came out of nowhere, and who other than Bach could be their composer?""
Peter Wollny discovered two Ciaconas among organ manuscripts at the Royal Library of Belgium that were undated and unsigned. He suspected a Bach attribution and searched for corroborating evidence. Stylistic markers such as melodic bass jumps to upper registers and extensive fugues matched features associated with Bach. Research into Bach family archives produced a letter identifying the scribe as Salomon Gunther John, a known pupil of Bach, and handwriting analysis supported the link. The two secular organ works were performed at St Thomas Church in Leipzig by Ton Koopman, marking their first public performance in 320 years.
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