sample essay on perfection in MAESTRO

Paul's search for perfection is evident in the way he recalls his performances throughout the 'memoir'. When he plays for Henisch he gives his "finest performance". It was a performance requiring "intellectual" and "technical" ability however his focus on perfection, his determination to be "technically flawless" prevents Paul from accessing the emotional side to the music. Ultimately we see that Paul is unable to play with "more rubato" which limits his ability to achieve true greatness. Similarly, Paul's descriptions of prior performances and lessons focus with "tunnel vision" on the skills and abilities he demonstrated. His quest for perfection seemed to "paralyse" and then to "infuriate". This is in part due to Keller's way of teaching that "music is a kind of arithmetic" and Paul's own cripppling pride.