A musicologist, Peter Wollny, has dedicated 35 years of his life to unearthing two previously unknown organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach. In 1992, while researching at the Royal Library in Brussels, he stumbled upon two mysterious scores with no attribution. Initially, Wollny didn't think they were even written by Bach, but something about their handwriting drew him in.
As a PhD graduate student at Harvard University, Wollny had been studying the music of Bach's eldest son, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach. He joined the Bach archive in Leipzig as a researcher and director since 2014. His colleague, Bernd Koska, described Wollny's working style as thorough and meticulous.
The two Brussels scores turned out to be chaconnes, a musical form originating from Spain, with unique features such as an ostinato bass line repeated throughout the work. What caught Wollny's attention was that these pieces deviated from the standard length of 6, 7, or 8 bars and instead followed an extended pattern.
Despite his extensive research and discovery of more documents matching the handwriting in archives across Germany, Wollny didn't have a name to attribute to the works. For years, he mistakenly believed they were written by Bach's cousin. However, in 2012, Koska discovered a letter from Salomon Günther John, an organist applying for a job in Schleiz, Thuringia. The handwriting matched that of Wollny's files.
The breakthrough finally came in 2023 when a court document from 1716, written by John, was made publicly accessible and confirmed the handwriting match with absolute certainty. Wollny doesn't recall celebrating this moment but expressed relief and acceptance that technology may one day make such discoveries easier.
Wollny's perseverance is a testament to his dedication to uncovering Bach's lost works. While acknowledging the possibility of AI surpassing human capabilities, he remains content with his own achievements and believes the process of discovery is just as important as the outcome.
As a PhD graduate student at Harvard University, Wollny had been studying the music of Bach's eldest son, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach. He joined the Bach archive in Leipzig as a researcher and director since 2014. His colleague, Bernd Koska, described Wollny's working style as thorough and meticulous.
The two Brussels scores turned out to be chaconnes, a musical form originating from Spain, with unique features such as an ostinato bass line repeated throughout the work. What caught Wollny's attention was that these pieces deviated from the standard length of 6, 7, or 8 bars and instead followed an extended pattern.
Despite his extensive research and discovery of more documents matching the handwriting in archives across Germany, Wollny didn't have a name to attribute to the works. For years, he mistakenly believed they were written by Bach's cousin. However, in 2012, Koska discovered a letter from Salomon Günther John, an organist applying for a job in Schleiz, Thuringia. The handwriting matched that of Wollny's files.
The breakthrough finally came in 2023 when a court document from 1716, written by John, was made publicly accessible and confirmed the handwriting match with absolute certainty. Wollny doesn't recall celebrating this moment but expressed relief and acceptance that technology may one day make such discoveries easier.
Wollny's perseverance is a testament to his dedication to uncovering Bach's lost works. While acknowledging the possibility of AI surpassing human capabilities, he remains content with his own achievements and believes the process of discovery is just as important as the outcome.
You'd think someone would have noticed those scores by now, but I guess that's what makes it cool that a PhD student stumbled upon them back in '92 
. But, gotta ask, is this just a case of confirmation bias? I mean, only two scores match the handwriting and no one else finds anything? That seems kinda fishy to me 
. Still, kudos to Wollny for sticking it out and making that breakthrough! 
I'm obsessed with this story about Peter Wollny discovering those two mysterious organ pieces by Bach! 35 years of digging through archives is insane, but it's so cool that he didn't give up. The fact that his colleague found a match in a letter from an organist applying for a job makes sense, but I'm glad the court document confirmed it once and for all. 
It just goes to show how much music history is waiting for us to uncover, and people like Wollny who are passionate about digging it up. 
i mean, who needs that kind of dedication to music when there are so many other more 'useful' things in life like making money or getting ahead in your career 
anyway, nice job Peter Wollny for finally figuring it out after all those years... i guess the excitement must've worn off by now and you're just relieved it's over 
the truth is, we'll probably never know how much time or effort was put into those two scores until some AI comes along and figures them out in like 5 seconds 
35 yrs of digging & it all paid off! 
Peter Wollny's obsession w/ Bach's music is truly inspiring 
. That handwriting match was like finding a needle in a haystack 
. I mean, who wouldn't wanna uncover hidden gems from the past? 
The fact that he didn't give up even when it seemed impossible is what makes him a legend 
. Technology might make discovery easier, but human determination still matters 
I'm not sure how much of this story I buy... 35 years of research on two mysterious scores and it's only now that they're confirmed to be Bach's because of a court document? That feels like a convenient plot twist. 
. You gotta admire his persistence & dedication, even when it felt like he was chasing his tail for years 
. I mean, the thought of him thinking they were written by Bach's cousin 
. But in all seriousness, what's amazing is how one letter and a court document can finally bring clarity to something that had been lost to time 
But it's crazy that he had to use a court document from 1716 to finally confirm the handwriting match. What if all that research and investment went down the drain? That must've been nerve-wracking for him. Still, I guess his perseverance paid off in the end... but what about the role of technology in musicology now? Are humans going to be replaced by AI or something? 
! 35 years of digging through archives to uncover these hidden gems by Bach is seriously impressive 
. I mean, who needs AI when you've got someone like Wollny pouring over ancient documents with a passion for music history? 
.
How did it take so long for this document to be made public? And can someone please provide me with a source on where exactly I can find this doc? I'm genuinely curious! 
35 years of research and detective work paid off in the end. It's amazing what technology can do for us, like making court documents from centuries ago publicly accessible 
. Wollny's humility is refreshing too - he's not one to seek recognition, just happy to have uncovered these lost works