Introduction

The Piano Teacher is a novel by Austrian author Elfriede Jelinek, first published in German in 1983 by Rowohlt Verlag. An English translation by Joachim Neugroschel was released by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in 1988. In 2001, Austrian director Michael Haneke adapted the novel into a film.

The novel focuses on Erika Kohut, a piano teacher at the Vienna Conservatory who lives with her mother despite being in her late 30s. Due to her mother's extremely controlling nature, Erika is deprived of many formative experiences. She grows to be sexually repressed, developing deviant tendencies such as voyeurism and sadomasochism as a result. Apart from exploring themes of sexual violence and aggression, The Piano Teacher is also a biting satire of Vienna's elitist, cultured middle class.  

Plot Summary

The novel starts with a disagreement between Erika and her mother. Her mother is upset because Erika bought a new dress without consulting her. Erika's mother wants to have control over her daughter's finances, just as she controls every other aspect of Erika's life. Erika's father passed away after being admitted to the Steinhof Asylum, so now the two of them live alone. Erika's mother raised her with the intention of making her a world-famous concert pianist, but Erika's mistake during an important performance led her to become a piano teacher at the Vienna Conservatory.

Erika's mother has always discouraged her from pursuing romantic relationships with men. As a result, Erika is forced to seek sexual fulfillment in unconventional ways. She secretly visits peep shows and picks up the discarded tissues other patrons used to masturbate. The deserted meadows at the Prater are also her "happy hunting ground," where she spies on couples having sex. Erika also engages in self-harm, a practice she first picked up when she was a child. 

One of Erika's students, Walter Klemmer, sees her as a romantic conquest from which he may "profit." Though initially wary of his advances, Erika starts to enjoy the attention. Klemmer flirts with a female colleague during an orchestra rehearsal to make Erika jealous. In retaliation, Erika secretly places the shards of a crushed tumbler inside the girl's coat. As a result, the girl's hand ends up being mutilated.

While Erika's victim is receiving medical attention, she goes off to urinate. Unbeknownst to her, Klemmer follows Erika to the empty restroom. He pulls her out of the stall and starts aggressively kissing and groping her. Erika eventually reciprocates his advances and also warns him to stand still and keep quiet. Because Klemmer keeps disobeying her orders, Erika refuses to bring him to climax and leaves. 

A few days later, Klemmer follows Erika home and insists on entering her apartment. The two lock themselves inside a room, barricading the door so Erika's mother cannot interfere. Erika demands that Klemmer read her letter to him, which details her sexual fantasies of being bound, tortured, and raped. While she secretly hopes he will refuse to do these things out of love, Klemmer feels disgusted and leaves. Stung by Klemmer's rejection, Erika assails her mother with forceful kisses and undresses her that night. 

Klemmer keeps his distance from Erika for a few days. One day, Erika meets him after one of his classes, and they attempt to have sex inside a janitor's cabinet. Klemmer is unable to sustain an erection. He tries to force Erika to perform oral sex on him, but she ends up vomiting in a bucket. Klemmer lashes out at Erika, proclaiming that she has an unbearable stench. 

At night, Erika weeps and mutilates her body. Meanwhile, Klemmer feels restless and kills an animal...