Resolution criteria
A previously unknown work by Johann Sebastian Bach will be considered "discovered" if it meets the following conditions by December 31, 2029:
The work is authenticated by the Leipzig Bach Archive (or equivalent authoritative Bach scholarship institution) as a genuine composition by Bach
The authentication is publicly announced and documented
The work receives an official BWV (Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis) catalog number or is formally added to Bach's official works list
The discovery must be announced before January 1, 2030. Works that were previously known but newly authenticated (like the two chaconnes authenticated in November 2025) count as discoveries. Fragments, lost works that cannot be recovered, and works of disputed or uncertain attribution do not count.
Background
There are over 1,000 known compositions by Bach, yet discoveries continue to occur. A pair of chaconnes first discovered in the 1990s were linked to Bach in 2025, after Peter Wollny uncovered them in the Royal Library of Belgium. The manuscripts were unsigned and undated, requiring decades of research to authenticate. New revelations can come at any time from any source—Bach's copy of the Calov Bible was found in an attic in Michigan in 1934 but forgotten until 1962. By analyzing manuscripts, paper types and watermarks, the creation of Bach's works can often be precisely dated.
Considerations
Authentication of Bach works is methodologically rigorous but time-consuming. Manuscripts that are unsigned, undated, and not written in Bach's hand present challenges, though researchers can connect penmanship with other known works and use stylistic analysis. Stylistically, authenticated works contain features found in Bach's compositions at specific periods but in those of no other composer. The existence of Bach Digital, an online database developed by the Bach Archive in Leipzig with high-resolution digitized versions of early manuscripts, has accelerated research capabilities in recent years.
This description was generated by AI.
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