The Magic of Ascanio: The Structural Conception of Magic

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The Magic of Ascanio: The Structural Conception of Magic

Postby kitaristi0 » Feb 25th, '07, 03:10



A close friend of Ascanio, Jesús Etcheverry had in his possession the unpublished manuscript which was originally titled "The Structural Conception of Magic". After Ascanio's death in 1997 he began work on editing and rewriting the manuscript so that it could finally be released. Gathering information from numerous sources, (published and unpublished) and with the help of Ascanio's many friends and colleagues Jesús was able to finally get Ascanio's work published for magicians all over the world. What will eventually become a three-volume set, the first volume is now available, and deals primarily with theoretical work. The later volumes will consist of effects that highlight and showcase Ascanio's brilliant thinking.

The first volume includes:

* The Structural Conception of Magic:
o Technique
o Construction
o Cover
o Presentation
o How to Study Magic
* Ascanio's Previously Unpublished Essays
o Thoughts on Creativity
o Theory Notebook of 1970
* His Classic Articles on Theory
o Conception of the Magical Atmosphere
o Analysis of a Trick
o On Misdirection
o The Fundamentals of Timing
o Know Yourself
o The Psychology of Palming
* The Interviews
o Interview with a Genius of Magic, by Juan Tamariz
o A Biographical Interview and My Character, by Docampo
* Three Juicy Conversations
o Arturo and Juan Chat
* An Essay by Aurelio Paviato

Any magician, beginner or pro, owes it to himself to pick this book up and read it. Not once, not twice, but as many times as possible. Absorption of this material will take time, but as a magician the benefits that you will gain are countless. The 30 page section titled "How to Study Magic" is something that needs to be read by everyone, whether you think you need to read it or not. Where to study, what to study and even HOW to study are all broken down and analyzed at length so that you are able to discover which avenues provide the best results for you.


I received this book a month or so ago in eager anticipation having just learned the Mercury trick (which uses an Ascanio Spread) and I haven't been disappointed. Available for $57.50 from Ellusionist (and probably other places as well) it is horrendously overpriced but definitely a valuable book to have in your magic library.

The book is awkward in a sense that most of the stuff will be obvious or second nature to a more experienced performer, but while the contents are absolute gold to a beginner I don't think most beginners care to consider things like the philosophy and theoretical considerations of magic. I guess that's their loss.

Covering a number of important topics like presentation, cover, misdirection, timing and performance, the book is very much a book where you don't go to learn new tricks but rather to find gold nuggets of info that you can use to make all your tricks even more powerful. Though much of the book focuses on the non-technique aspects of magic, the few times he mentions technique (like the lecture on the psychology of palming a card) contain some excellent material.

Overall I really like the book and feel that in depth study of it will reap tremendous rewards. For the content itself I'm tempted to give it a 10/10. However, the high price and slightly tedious writing style brings it down to a 9/10 overall. Still, definitely worth buying if the price isn't a huge obstacle for you.

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Postby Al Doty » Aug 30th, '07, 21:22

Thanks for the great review and despite the fact I like doing the spread this book covers so much more. So many times we focus on the moves and the trick that we overlook what makes it work and what brings it all together and sells it as a magic miracle. Roberto Giobbi said "You cant get enough theory." I agree that most beginners pass on the deeper things of magic. They just want the trick and they end up with alot of magic but not perfecting any of it. This book is full of the essentials to improving your magic and as you said the money should not stop you from buying it. Mine is on order and will be here soon. I will let you know what I think when it is in my hands and your description of it makes me impatient.
Regards
Al

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Postby memorire » Nov 5th, '08, 12:15

Hello guys and gals!

This is not a full review of the book, since i own it only for 4 hours now. The review will follow when i am through with it. I would like to share my first impressions here (i also got vol. 2&3 but those will be reviewd in indefinite time )

Well what should i say. Imho it is one of the best books on magic that is out there. Although it does not contain a single trick it has collected aticles, essays and interviews by and with Ascanio - the great spanish master! Toopics covered are presentation, misdirection, practice of sleights and rehearsal, showmanship and many more.

Some might say (as they say about "Strong Magic") that this is a book on magical theory. While this is more true with the present book than with SM, i would say it contains some very very practical advice that any magician should know and apply.

It is directed to both beginners (the chapter on how to study magic though only 30 some pages is worth the price alone) but also to seasoned magicians who want to improve their magic.

The book is made with great detail to quality - the paper and binding and everything is just perfect!


I would rate it 10/10

memorire
 


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