Chaconne and Fugue in D minor, BWV 1178

In 2025, two newly authenticated organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach were added to the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis as BWV 1178 and 1179. Preserved in manuscripts copied by Salomon Günther John, a pupil of Bach in Arnstadt, these works likely date from the composer’s late teens, around 1703–1705. Both works explore the Chaconne form—a repeating bass pattern supporting a sequence of variations—then popular in North and Central Germany. The Chaconne and Fugue in D minor (BWV 1178) is strikingly bold, with contrapuntal textures and harmonic daring that foreshadow Bach’s mature organ style. The Chaconne in G minor (BWV 1179) is more introspective, marked by subtle rhythmic shifts and a sustained lyricism. Together, they reveal a young Bach experimenting with inherited forms and already shaping a distinctive voice. Their rediscovery not only enriches our understanding of his early development but also offers performers and listeners fresh insight into the imaginative world of the composer. This orchestration of Bach's organ work was done in December 2025.