Maestro (Goldsworthy, P.)

Peter Goldsworthy’s Maestro focuses on the coming of age of Paul Crabbe, who slowly leaves his childhood innocence behind to enter the new world of adulthood. His pathway to maturity is described through a series of experiences, particularly with an old Viennese music teacher, Eduard Keller, or the ‘Maestro’. Near the end of the novel, where Paul is in his mid-twenties, he looks back on his transformation from a spoiled, self-indulged adolescent, to a more compassionate and more knowledgeable adult. He realises, through his own suffering and Keller’s influence, that his talents are not good enough to earn him a career as a concert pianist.

Paul’s personality changes throughout the text. At the start Paul is corrupted by pride and the idea that he is great, almost perfect even. This self-satisfaction does wonders to boost his ego, as he predicts instant fame and fortune will fall at his feet. When he first meets Keller, he acts as if he knows everything, but Keller mocks him constantly with such comments as, “you know so much for your age…and so little”, and won’t give in to his superficial ideals. Paul does not appreciate it when the old man honestly p

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Some common words found in the essay are:
Rough Stuff, Maestro Near, Paul Crabbe, , Goldsworthys Maestro, piano competition, suffering maturity, maturity gained,
Approximate Word count = 858
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)