Max Graf (; 1 October 1873 â 24 June 1958) was an Austrian music historian and critic. He was born in Vienna to an Austrian-Jewish family. Graf was the son of Josef and Regine (Lederer) Graf. His father was a political writer and editor. Graf was described as the "dean of music critics in Vienna" in the first part of the 20th century.
In his recent book FreudâÂÂs Patients the scholar Mikkel Borch-Jacobsen has identified the maiden name of MaxâÂÂs mother as Zentner rather than Lederer. Max Graf married three times. All his wive were singers. His first wife was Olga Hönig (1877âÂÂ1961), a former patient of FreudâÂÂs with an apparently severe personality disorder (her analysis had failed). They divorced in 1920. MaxâÂÂs mother Regine died in 1921. In 1922 he married his maternal cousin Rosa Zentner (1895âÂÂ1928). In early 1928 she died of septicemia following a tonsillectomy. In 1929 Max married the opera singer Leopoldine (Polly) Batic (1906âÂÂ1992).
Graf's book Composer and Critic is noted for its amicable style with M. A. Schubart of The New York Times stating: "Dr. Graf has written a charming, comprehensive, intelligent treatise on music criticism, drawing generously on his own large supply of knowledge and experience ... The only major issue which I cannot reach agreement with Dr. Graf is his manner. He is much too polite. No subject in the world deserves more rudeness than music criticism." Countering this impression, Graf published a deeply critical review of a Metropolitan Opera production produced by his son in 1946.
In the introduction to Composer and Critic, Graf details his original interest in music criticism as having stemmed from attending the lectures of Anton Bruckner in Vienna.
Graf is also notable for his role in the history of psychoanalysis as the father of Little Hans, whose treatment was described by Sigmund Freud. His first wife and Little Hans' mother, Olga Hönig, was one of Freud's patients.
Graf was Jewish and fled Vienna for the United States in 1938, where he taught at the New School for Social Research in New York City until 1947, when he returned to Vienna. He died there in 1958.