A re-cap

Paul’s first meeting with Keller. p.3 ‘First impressions? Misleading of course.’ p.3 Paul’s family have recently moved to Darwin. Paul’s father, John is a medical officer. Paul is frustrated by Keller’s teaching techniques. Keller will not let Paul play the piano. Paul feels angry towards Keller and calls him a Nazi (p.13) believing him to be a war criminal hiding out in Darwin. But the Crabbes find out that Keller is linked to some very famous musicians. Keller becomes a figure of mystery and intrigue for the Crabbes.

Paul attends Darwin High. Paul is very arrogant about his abilities. ‘Skinny, unathletic and irredeemably smug, my pen slamming loudly onto my desk at the end of each maths problem …’ p. 25 Nevertheless, nothing seems to be good enough for ‘the maestro’. ‘Perhaps there can be no perfection. Only levels of imperfection.’ p. 31 This makes Paul try even harder, to show the maestro that he underestimates him. But Keller warns Paul ‘We must know when to move on. To search too long for perfection can also paralyse.’ p. 31

Paul falls in love with Megan Murray. Paul gets into a fight with the school ‘tough guy’ Jimmy Papas. Paul becomes curious about a photograph on Keller’s piano of a woman and a child. At first Keller seems to not want to talk about his family but then calls after Paul as he is leaving at the end of the lesson that they are Eric his son and Mathilde his wife. Keller is invited to Paul’s house to celebrate his sixteenth birthday and his A+ results in his Music Board examinations. Paul’s parents are very proud of his results, but Keller tries to play down their importance. ‘The boy is given to self-satisfaction. The self-satisfied go no further.’ p.43

Intermezzo is a short piece of music between acts. Paul and his family travel to Adelaide for Christmas. Paul spends his summer holidays at the library trying to research about Keller. He finds a record stating that Keller died in Paul also discovers that Keller’s wife, Mathilde died in Auswitz concentration camp in On one trip to the library Paul overhears a couple having sex.

Paul becomes friends with Rosie Zollo, daughter of the new French teacher. Paul begins teaching her music and in doing so becomes like the maestro using the same teaching techniques. Paul still fantasises about Megan. Paul’s parents organise for the Brisbane Symphony Orchestra to visit Darwin and play in the Botanical Gardens. Keller becomes agitated when the orchestra plays Wagner as we later discover that Keller’s wife had been a Wagner specialist. Wagner was also a popular composer of the Nazi movement.

Rubato – a method that pianists use to make their music more dramatic by changing the tempo of the right hand. Only great pianists can achieve this. Since his family’s tragedies during WWII, Keller has problems with the rubato and is not able to teach this important technique to Paul. The expression has gone out of Keller’s playing because his heart is broken. He cannot teach Paul musical perfection, only technical perfection.

Paul finds himself attracted to Rosie. Paul uses his superior musical ability to help the school’s bullies form a band Rough Stuff. Through music, Paul is able to move from being an unpopular nerd to being a companion of the schoolyard ‘heavies’. Megan seduces Paul and they have sex on the beach. Paul regrets the experience and realises that his love for Rosie is genuine – the real thing.

Rough Stuff wins Darwin’s Battle of the Sounds competition. Paul feels the band’s success has come too easily and that rock music is merely ‘Music to Shit by’. p.91 Paul compares this experience to his lessons with Keller and begins to appreciate what it takes to make quality music. This is an important turning point for Paul.

Keller hears that Paul is travelling south to enter the competition in Adelaide. Keller encourages Paul to also enter a piano competition. Keller decides to journey south with Paul. Paul’s father realises that Keller has genuine affection for his son. P. 99 Paul also discovers that Keller has no money worries. ‘He had enough money to fly anywhere he pleased, to live anywhere he pleased. But chose not to.’ p.100

Rough Stuff do not do very well at the competition in Adelaide. Paul sees the concentration camp tattoo on Keller’s arm. This proves that he was a prisoner of war and not a war criminal. P.111 Paul is placed only third in the piano competition. Keller says to Paul ‘We never lose … we only learn.’ p109 His parents seem to give up hope of Paul becoming a concert pianist. Keller gives a warning to Paul, that he is ‘one in a thousand. But a concert pianist is one in a million.’ p.113

Before Paul goes to the end of school break up party he goes to see Keller. Keller tries to tell Paul he does not have a strong chance of being a great pianist. ‘A small hurt now to avoid a wasted life.’ p.113 Keller says to Paul ‘I have taught you everything you were able to learn.’ p.115 Keller then reveals to Paul the tragedy of his wife and son who were killed by the Nazis. Paul is too anxious to meet with Rosie to properly listen to Keller.

Paul leaves Darwin to study music in Adelaide. ‘I was smug, insufferable – and far better at playing the piano than anyone else.’ p.123 Paul begins to lose contact with Keller. Paul leaves for Europe to try piano competitions. He does not do well. Paul’s father writes to tell him that Keller survived Cyclone Tracey by hiding under his grand piano.

Paul goes to visit Joseph Henisch in Vienna Austria. He was a personal friend of Keller’s from before the war. Keller thought he was protected from the Nazis. ‘He had played for Hitler … so who would harm his wife and child?’ Henisch explains to Paul that Keller pretended to be Jewish so he could be sent to the camps to search for his family.

Paul plays for Henisch but is unable to convince him that he was a student of Kellers. ‘Technically flawless. You obviously had a very fine teacher. But I am sorry: you did not learn from Eduard Keller. His students played … with far more …’ ‘More rubato.’ p.139

Paul sees Keller on his death bed. Paul finally learns an important lesson about himself. “ … a Great man had died, whatever crimes he felt he had committed.’ p.146 Paul understands and accepts himself for who he is. ‘Can I know that mine was a foolish, innocent world, a world of delusion and feeling and ridiculous dreams – a world of music – and still love it? Endlessly, effortlessly.’ p149

‘In this sense Keller was bad for me, the worst possible teacher: revealing perfection to me, and at the same time snatching it away. Teaching a self-criticism that would never allow me to forget my limits.’ p.148