David Josef Bach

Who was David Josef Bach?

David Josef Bach was an important and influential figure in the cultural life of early twentieth-century Vienna.

As a boy, Bach was a close friend of the young Arnold Schoenberg, who later named him as one of the three friends who greatly influenced him in his youthful explorations of music and literature. Describing him as "A linguist, a philosopher, a connoisseur of literature, and a mathematician" as well as "a good musician", Schoenberg paid tribute to his friend by claiming that it was D.J. Bach who furnished his character with "the ethical and moral power needed to withstand vulgarity and commonplace popularity".

After studying Natural Sciences at the University of Vienna, where he was influenced by Ernst Mach, D.J. Bach became a journalist, being appointed as music critic of the Arbeiter-Zeitung in 1904 after the death of Josef Scheu. As a loyal supporter of Schoenberg and of the slightly older Gustav Mahler he supported contemporary music in a city where performances of 'modern' works would sometimes be disrupted by noisy protests.