Maestro

1968 begins and Paul returns to school in Darwin, having grown both physically and as a pianist, though he still struggles with having confidence. Despite towering over his classmates, he feels small, and walks hunched over, a habit Nancy urges him to correct. Paul blames the piano, spending much of his time bent over the keyboard in the Music Room, where he retreats during lunch. During his second year, Rosie Zollo, the daughter of his French teacher, begins joining him, eating her lunch and listening to him play. Paul can tell Rosie is infatuated with him, though he has no interest in her—Megan is still the only girl on his mind. Rosie asks Paul if he will give her some pointers, so he does, imitating the lessons he learned from Keller.

Meanwhile, Paul’s lessons with Keller have become increasingly demanding, though Paul now feels closer with Keller than he did at first On occasion, Paul presses Keller to talk about his past in Vienna, but Keller responds with bitterness and sarcasm, dismissing Vienna’s musical history as a facade of appearances over substance. Paul’s curiosity about his teacher’s mysterious past grows, especially when he discovers that Keller keeps a scrapbook of newspaper clippings. The clippings, which span from fresh newsprint to faded, yellowed pages, include stories of malpractice lawsuits, bizarre accidents, and societal failures.

One night, Paul’s family attends a concert by the Brisbane Symphony, a significant event for the town. Rosie joins Paul at the concert, and he feels a growing sexual attraction toward her, even as he tries to keep his distance. Keller, who also attends, appears especially frail and likely intoxicated. When Paul mocks the audience’s applause between movements, Keller publicly rebukes him, a humiliation that leaves Paul angry. Paul was always taught that one should not clap between movements and feels embarrassed that Keller chose to show him up in front of Rosie. During the final piece of the night, the Act I Prelude from Wagner’s Lohengrin, Keller becomes overwhelmed, standing up and shouting in German. Ushers try to quiet him, but he leaves the concert in tears. After the concert, Paul and Rosie find a quiet place to be alone and share their first sexual experience.

One day, shortly after Keller’s meltdown at the concert, Paul hears Keller playing and singing to himself, pouring emotion into a piano transcription of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde. Paul listens, transfixed by the passion and self-hatred in the performance. When Keller lets him in, he downplays the emotional intensity of the piece, dismissing it as a technical exercise. However, Paul feels the music on a deeper, more sensual level, linking it to his recent experience with Rosie. He begins to value sensation over intellect, realizing that his life is moving in a new direction, which helps increase his confidence.

One day, while Paul and Rosie are together in the music room, three boys—Scotty Mitchell, Jimmy Papas, and Reggie Lim—enter and try to kick them out. The boys are in a band called Rough Stuff and want the space to practice. After hearing the boys warm up, Paul offers to stick around and give them pointers. At first, the group, known for their bullying ways, is antagonistic toward him. However, they quickly realize that he knows what he is talking about and eventually invite him to join the band.

Not long after, Megan, who still dates Scotty, gives Paul a ride to Scotty’s house, where the band is meeting to practice. On the way there, Megan asks Paul if he still dreams about her. In response, Megan takes Paul to an isolated spot where they can have sex. The experience leaves Paul feeling disappointed and, when Megan asks him if he wants to do it again, he turns her down. Then, instead of going to band practice, Paul rushes over to Rosie’s house, feeling intense guilt.

When Paul sees Rosie, he does not confess what he has done, but he does tell her that he loves her and holds her close to him. Rosie reciprocates his feelings, confessing that she can’t bear to be apart from him. Then, they quietly have sex, making sure not to alert Rosie’s parents, who are nearby. The act is more far more passionate and fulfilling than the sex Paul had with Megan.

Over the next few months, Paul’s relationship with Rosie defines his life. He feels invulnerable, and his confidence swells as he balances school, music, and love. His parents express concern that he is becoming too serious with Rosie, worrying that it might be “too much, too soon.” Despite their concerns, Paul reassures them that he and Rosie help each other with their studies, particularly “biology.”

As Paul spends more time with Rosie, the band continues to practice, and Paul’s social life with Scotty, Jimmy, and Reggie becomes more integrated. However, Jimmy’s bullying behavior continues, particularly toward Bennie, who remains a frequent target. Bennie, unlike most of Jimmy’s victims, refuses to back down. Despite being physically weaker, Bennie uses his sharp tongue to provoke Jimmy and one day puts a burning ball of newspaper filled with dog feces in Jimmy’s van. When Paul accidentally admits that Bennie was responsible for the prank, he feels guilty and tries to warn Bennie. Bennie tells Paul that he wanted Jimmy to know, which is why he told Paul in the first place. Unsurprisingly, Jimmy retaliates by physically attacking Bennie. Paul tries to break up the fight, but he is unsuccessful.

The band continues practicing, now with an explicit goal in mind: competing in the North Territory’s Battle of the Sounds competition. Scotty, Jimmy, Reggie, and Paul rehearse tirelessly. Paul takes the lead in organizing the group’s performance. They dream of winning the competition and advancing to the finals in Adelaide, and their confidence soars when they learn that the judge is Rockin’ Rick Whiteley, a popular local radio DJ who will almost definitely enjoy their sound. On the night of the competition, the band takes the stage in leather jackets and sunglasses, fully embracing the rock-and-roll image. Despite their lack of musical sophistication compared to their jazz-playing competition, their energy and enthusiasm win over the crowd, especially their schoolmates, who cheer loudly for them. Whiteley awards them first prize, securing their place in the Adelaide finals.

After winning the competition, Paul feels a sense of hollowness. The fame and excitement don’t satisfy him in the way he imagined. As he reflects on the night, he realizes that the loud, chaotic music they produced didn’t feel meaningful or earned. His puritanical instincts, possibly inherited from John or Keller, resurface, making him question the value of his newfound success. Rosie, too, seems subdued after the performance, and they quietly slip away from the party to walk along the beach together, leaving behind the noise and the celebration. Although Paul is not particularly excited about the band’s success, he is glad he has Rosie by his side.