Bach's lost masterpiece: Chaconne in G minor, BWV 1179 | Ton Koopman (organ)

Video Description

Here is Johann Sebastian Bach's second rediscovered masterpiece. When the news broke that two new works by Bach had been uncovered, it caused a sensation. The Chaconne in G Minor, BWV 1179, was the second piece that organist Ton Koopman first unveiled to the public November 17, 2025, at a ceremony in Leipzig’s St. Thomas Church. You can also view Bach’s other rediscovered piece, the Chaconne in D Minor, BWV 1178, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4JR0N7rOw8 On the 75th anniversary of the Bach Archive in Leipzig, director Peter Wollny unveiled the secret behind the two newly identified Bach works. Wollny had known of the scores for the Chaconne in D Minor and the Chaconne in G Minor for over 30 years. He first encountered them in Belgium's Royal Library. By analyzing the writing style of the clefs, he was able to trace the works to central Germany — where Johann Sebastian Bach was born in 1685, and lived until his death in 1750. Both works had been written down by an anonymous scribe. Up until now, their composer had remained unknown. Through painstaking detective work, Wollny was able to trace the handwriting to other sources. Among those was a letter written by Salomon Günther John, who said he had studied organ with Johann Sebastian Bach, and transcribed some of Bach’s compositions. The letter became one of the final pieces of the puzzle that allowed Wollny to declare with certainty that both newly found works were composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. In comparison to the Chaconne in D Minor, the Chaconne in G Minor seems more mature, less abrupt. Bach is said to have been just 18 years old when he wrote it. For the public premiere of this newly discovered work, Ton Koopman chose many unusual organ stops, lending the piece a distinctive charm. Ton Koopman — Dutch conductor, organist, harpsichordist and university lecturer — is a leading interpreter of early music, specialized in historically informed performances. He founded his Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra in 1979, extending with a choir in 1992. The ensemble consists of internationally renowned specialists in early music. The musicians' instruments are either originals pieces or replicas, so their interpretations of Baroque music sound as true to the period as possible. © 2025 Bach Archive Leipzig / Deutsche Welle Watch more concerts in your personal concert hall: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBV5A14dyRWy1KSkwcG8LEey in our Bach playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBUIGIm71zRFbYPJMQ-ETiMT and in our Baroque playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBXLyjR_MiLhm0kuiyjEcVG1 Subscribe to DW Classical Music: https://www.youtube.com/dwclassicalmusic #johannsebastianbach #chaconne #baroquemusic