Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
It was a sensational find for all Bach lovers: Johann Sebastian Bach’s newly discovered chaconnes in D minor and G minor. For over 300 years, they lay buried in the Royal Library of Belgium — works from an "unknown composer."
After years of meticulous detective work, Peter Wollny — director of the Bach Archive in Leipzig — successfully identified them as works by Johann Sebastian Bach. He was able to prove that the works' copyist, Salomon Günther John, was a former student of Bach and had transcribed the works while studying under him.
For the 75th anniversary of the Bach Archive, the newly discovered pieces were performed for the first time by organist and conductor Ton Koopman in Leipzig's St. Thomas Church. Johann Sebastian Bach had served as cantor there from 1723 until his death in 1750.
At a glance:
(00:00) The story of Bach’s newly discovered chaconnes
(01:21) Treasures in the Bach Archive Leipzig
(02:14) Bach's watermarks
(02:43) Restoring Bach's Bible - estimated value 1 million euros
(03:38) Research on Bach's musical family
(04:14) Passion for handwritten scores and letters
(04:57) The latest gem in the Bach Archive: the Chaconne in G minor, BMV 1179
Many treasured objects relating to Bach have a home in the archive’s vaults — from musical manuscripts to personal objects that once belonged the Baroque composer. The Bach Archive in Leipzig now holds the second-largest collection of Bach manuscripts written in the composer’s own hand. The film also introduces the most valuable donation the archive has received since its founding: American shipowner Elias Kulukundis' colledction — with a wealth of works from Bach’s sons.
The Bach Archive is a contemporary research institute and museum, its writings and research publicly accessible. The archive also organizes the annual Bach Festival in Leipzig.
Report by Gaby Reucher
Thumbnail: © picture alliance/imageBROKER/Michael Weber
© 2025 Deutsche Welle
Watch more fascinating music documentaries: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBUu43Xaa5AYyL7MruoJ42WD
and listen to more great pieces by Bach: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBUIGIm71zRFbYPJMQ-ETiMT
#bach #hiddengems #musicdocumentary
It was a sensational find for all Bach lovers: Johann Sebastian Bach’s newly discovered chaconnes in D minor and G minor. For over 300 years, they lay buried in the Royal Library of Belgium — works from an "unknown composer."
After years of meticulous detective work, Peter Wollny — director of the Bach Archive in Leipzig — successfully identified them as works by Johann Sebastian Bach. He was able to prove that the works' copyist, Salomon Günther John, was a former student of Bach and had transcribed the works while studying under him.
For the 75th anniversary of the Bach Archive, the newly discovered pieces were performed for the first time by organist and conductor Ton Koopman in Leipzig's St. Thomas Church. Johann Sebastian Bach had served as cantor there from 1723 until his death in 1750.
At a glance:
(00:00) The story of Bach’s newly discovered chaconnes
(01:21) Treasures in the Bach Archive Leipzig
(02:14) Bach's watermarks
(02:43) Restoring Bach's Bible - estimated value 1 million euros
(03:38) Research on Bach's musical family
(04:14) Passion for handwritten scores and letters
(04:57) The latest gem in the Bach Archive: the Chaconne in G minor, BMV 1179
Many treasured objects relating to Bach have a home in the archive’s vaults — from musical manuscripts to personal objects that once belonged the Baroque composer. The Bach Archive in Leipzig now holds the second-largest collection of Bach manuscripts written in the composer’s own hand. The film also introduces the most valuable donation the archive has received since its founding: American shipowner Elias Kulukundis' colledction — with a wealth of works from Bach’s sons.
The Bach Archive is a contemporary research institute and museum, its writings and research publicly accessible. The archive also organizes the annual Bach Festival in Leipzig.
Report by Gaby Reucher
Thumbnail: © picture alliance/imageBROKER/Michael Weber
© 2025 Deutsche Welle
Watch more fascinating music documentaries: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBUu43Xaa5AYyL7MruoJ42WD
and listen to more great pieces by Bach: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBUIGIm71zRFbYPJMQ-ETiMT
#bach #hiddengems #musicdocumentary
