If Bach was the last person to compose after those who did before himGreat point! That reveal that the center of gravity of a wave is more important than the periphery if we want to understand the way a wave fall in the ocean of creativity....In this perspective Schoenberg or Scriabin make sense AFTER Bach or AROUND Bach like you rightfully suggest...
I would understand him and easily !
But the succession of composers is an "history" which like a river has a direction...
This direction is the result of consciousness creative dynamic mysteries way more than the results only of our individual or collective taste around any center... Only my intuition here...