Chaconne in G minor, BWV 1179

In 2025, two newly authenticated organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach were added to the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis as BWV numbers 1178 and 1179. Preserved in manuscripts copied by Salomon Günther John, a pupil of Bach in Arnstadt, these ciaccone 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 a sustained lyricism that is less reliant on counterpoint. 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 teenage composer. Scoring: 2.2(=Eh).2+bcl.2. / 4./3./3./1. / T / str.