David Josef Bach

David Josef Bach (13 August 1874 – 30 January 1947) was an Austrian journalist, music critic, and an influential figure in the cultural life of early twentieth-century Vienna.

[3] His wide-ranging activities earned him the hostility of right-wing groups, who denounced his artistic programme as part of a 'Jewish conspiracy' to undermine traditional Austrian culture.

In order to help the Workers to be better prepared for the Concerts, Operas or Plays they were planning to attend, from 1926 to 1931, the 'Kunststelle' issued a monthly Arts' magazine, 'Kunst und Volk', in which distinguished contributors from all around Europe discussed not only the artistic events in question, but also a broad range of historical, political and social matters.

This organisation, together with the Arbeiter-Symphonie-Konzerte and the 'Workers' Music Conservatoire', flourished until all were disbanded upon the new fascist government's outlawing of the Social Democratic Party and imposition of an authoritarian constitution in 1934.

In a situation of increasing polarization between 'Right' and 'Left', he attempted to create a cultural consensus by including conservatives like Hofmannsthal and Kralik in his system of patronage, as well as radicals like Ernst Fischer and Alban Berg.

The esteem in which he was held by the Viennese cultural community is reflected in the collection of eighty-eight large-format literary, artistic and musical dedications in a "Kassette" presented to him in August 1924 on the occasion of his fiftieth birthday.

This collection, now in the care of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, includes original artistic works of considerable value and forms a unique 'time capsule' of Viennese cultural life.