Bach's Lost Organ Works: A 35-Year Quest for Authenticity
For Peter Wollny, a renowned musicologist and director of Leipzig's Bach archive, the discovery of two previously unknown works by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1992 was more than just an unexpected find. It marked the beginning of a 35-year journey to authenticate the compositions, fueled by his "inner duty" to uncover the truth.
Wollny's fascination with Bach's music began during his graduate studies at Harvard University, where he focused on the life and works of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, Johann Sebastian's eldest son. After graduating, Wollny joined the Bach archive in Leipzig as a researcher and has since dedicated his career to understanding the composer's life and music.
The two Brussels scores, Chaconne in D minor BWV 1178 and Chaconne in G minor BWV 1179, were discovered in a dusty library by chance. Wollny was struck by the unusual characteristics of these works, which deviated from the conventional forms of the time. The ostinato bass motifs, for instance, stretched beyond the standard six- to eight-bar lengths, creating a sense of tension and uncertainty.
Wollny's initial intuition led him to study Bach's handwriting in depth, but he soon realized that the Brussels scores couldn't have been written by the composer personally. Instead, they likely belonged to his student or copyist, Salomon Günther John. The discovery was confirmed by a 1727 letter, which mentioned John's application for an organist position at a church in Schleiz, Thuringia.
However, Wollny wasn't convinced that he had found the correct authorship until a court document from 1716, written by John and matching the handwriting of the Brussels scores with absolute certainty. This breakthrough marked the culmination of Wollny's meticulous research and dedication to uncovering the truth.
Throughout his journey, Wollny has faced skepticism and criticism, but he remained committed to his work. "I'm not someone to punch the air in delight," he said, reflecting on the excitement of the discovery. Instead, he was content with the process, knowing that his work would contribute to a deeper understanding of Bach's life and music.
The revelation of these lost works highlights the complexities and nuances of Bach's compositions. Wollny's research serves as a reminder that musicology is not just about analysis but also about the human story behind the art. The discovery of these two chaconnes demonstrates the power of persistence and dedication in uncovering hidden gems, and Wollny's work will undoubtedly continue to inspire future generations of musicologists.
For Peter Wollny, a renowned musicologist and director of Leipzig's Bach archive, the discovery of two previously unknown works by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1992 was more than just an unexpected find. It marked the beginning of a 35-year journey to authenticate the compositions, fueled by his "inner duty" to uncover the truth.
Wollny's fascination with Bach's music began during his graduate studies at Harvard University, where he focused on the life and works of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, Johann Sebastian's eldest son. After graduating, Wollny joined the Bach archive in Leipzig as a researcher and has since dedicated his career to understanding the composer's life and music.
The two Brussels scores, Chaconne in D minor BWV 1178 and Chaconne in G minor BWV 1179, were discovered in a dusty library by chance. Wollny was struck by the unusual characteristics of these works, which deviated from the conventional forms of the time. The ostinato bass motifs, for instance, stretched beyond the standard six- to eight-bar lengths, creating a sense of tension and uncertainty.
Wollny's initial intuition led him to study Bach's handwriting in depth, but he soon realized that the Brussels scores couldn't have been written by the composer personally. Instead, they likely belonged to his student or copyist, Salomon Günther John. The discovery was confirmed by a 1727 letter, which mentioned John's application for an organist position at a church in Schleiz, Thuringia.
However, Wollny wasn't convinced that he had found the correct authorship until a court document from 1716, written by John and matching the handwriting of the Brussels scores with absolute certainty. This breakthrough marked the culmination of Wollny's meticulous research and dedication to uncovering the truth.
Throughout his journey, Wollny has faced skepticism and criticism, but he remained committed to his work. "I'm not someone to punch the air in delight," he said, reflecting on the excitement of the discovery. Instead, he was content with the process, knowing that his work would contribute to a deeper understanding of Bach's life and music.
The revelation of these lost works highlights the complexities and nuances of Bach's compositions. Wollny's research serves as a reminder that musicology is not just about analysis but also about the human story behind the art. The discovery of these two chaconnes demonstrates the power of persistence and dedication in uncovering hidden gems, and Wollny's work will undoubtedly continue to inspire future generations of musicologists.
Like, can u believe he had these lost organ works just chillin in a library? 35 yrs of research is crazy!!! Peter Wollny is literally the real MVP 
. He's all about dat authenticity and not afraid to keep it real even if ppl don't agree with him. I feel him on being passionate about the process, not just the outcome 
. It's like, musicology is so much more than just analyzing notes, its about the person behind the art 
. Wollny's dedication is inspiring and I'm def gonna be following his work from now on 
- it was actually a 35-year quest for authenticity, not just anyone randomly finding some old works. Peter Wollny is the one who dedicated his life to understanding Bach's music and life, and he's the director of Leipzig's Bach archive. And btw, it wasn't just a random discovery - those Brussels scores were found in a library by chance, but they took him years to figure out weren't written by Bach himself. He actually studied Bach's handwriting like crazy before realizing someone else must've written them 
. Salomon Günther John is the guy who likely wrote them, and Wollny found some court documents from back then that confirmed it. Anyway, I'm glad we're finally talking about this cool discovery! 
and you'd think he would've found out by now... maybe he's just trying to get recognition or something 
the fact that he's still convinced they're not Bach's work despite all the evidence is kinda suspicious in my book 
. Its like, you gotta respect Peter Wollnys dedication to figuring out the truth about Bachs life and music. I mean, even if people didnt believe in him at first, he stuck to it & now we have some amazing new pieces of music to enjoy 
.
I'm loving this news! 35 years of searching for authenticity is like a true test of dedication & perseverance 
. As someone who loves classical music, it's mind-blowing to think that there were two entire pieces written by Bach that we didn't know existed! The process of studying his handwriting and comparing it to court documents must've been super meticulous 
. What I love most about this story is how Peter Wollny remained committed to his work even when others doubted him 
and its awesome that hes being real about it too, no jumping up and down in excitement but rather chillin about getting his work done 
it's like, we're all still learning more about Bach's life and music and it's amazing how much there is still to uncover