Two compositions recently identified as works by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) will be performed for the first time in Belgium on Friday, 6 December at the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ter-Rijke-Klarenkerk in Brussels.
The concert is an initiative of the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR) and the Royal Conservatory of Brussels.
The pieces, catalogued as BWV 1178 and BWV 1179, originate from the Fétis collection preserved at the KBR.
Each lasts around fourteen minutes and was performed publicly for the first time on 17 November at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, the church where Bach himself once worked.
The two organ works were discovered more than 30 years ago in the Royal Library's archives, but were only recently authenticated as previously unknown Bach compositions.
The concert, titled Trésors de bibliothèques (Library Treasures), is organised in collaboration with the KBR, the chamber music class of the early music department and the organ class of Benoît Mernier at the Royal Conservatory.
Also on the programme are works by Nicolaus Bruhns and Dietrich Buxtehude, taken from a manuscript in the Conservatory's library, partly written by Johann Friedrich Agricola, one of Bach's pupils.
