Halle, Germany - A lost musical composition by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) has been discovered in a treasure trove of manuscripts in Germany, the University of Halle said Tuesday.
The piece, which would take 5 to 7 minutes to play, was a "fantasy" or variation on an old German choral melody titled, Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns haelt, the university said.
Two musicologists discovered it in the 19th century papers of the editor of the first complete works of Bach, Wilhelm Rust (1822-1892). The Halle university library purchased his papers several weeks ago.
Baroque composer Bach is one of the greatest authors of organ music ever.
The fantasy had been thought lost, with only the first five bars known.