Eberhard Riese - Foundations

Eberhard Riese - Foundations

Foundations by Eberhard Riese is not a conventional magic book that simply presents a collection of new tricks. Instead, it focuses on a more fundamental question: what makes a magical performance truly strong, and how can a technical method be transformed into a convincing theatrical experience?

Eberhard Riese is particularly respected in the magic community for his analytical approach to presentation, dramaturgy and impact. In Foundations, he explores the core principles on which professional magic can be built.

More Than Technique

Many magicians spend years learning new methods and effects. Riese shifts the focus toward another area: how is an effect presented? Why does a certain structure work? How is tension created? How can a trick become a story or a memorable stage moment?

The book therefore focuses less on the question “How does the trick work?” and more on questions such as:

- How should a performance be structured?
- How can a clear performing persona be developed?
- How do timing, rhythm and dramaturgy influence impact?
- How should material be selected to suit the performer’s personality?
- How can a routine be built so that it leaves a lasting impression on the audience?

For Stage Performers and Close-Up Magicians

Although Eberhard Riese is especially associated with stage magic and competition acts, many of the ideas in Foundations are equally relevant to close-up magicians, mentalists and stand-up performers.

The central questions remain the same: What should the audience experience? How is attention directed? What role does a single effect play within the structure of an entire show?

Performers who are already technically confident and want to take the next step toward a more professional presentation can benefit greatly from this perspective.

Dramaturgy as a Tool

One of the central ideas of the book is that magic is not simply a sequence of individual effects. A strong act needs structure.

Riese therefore approaches magic from a perspective that is closely connected to theatre. Dramaturgy, the building of tension, pauses, climaxes and the order of effects all play an important role.

This makes Foundations especially interesting for performers who do not want their show to feel like a collection of unrelated tricks, but rather as one coherent performance.

Developing Your Own Performing Persona

Another important aspect of the book is the question of the performer’s own stage character.

An effect can be technically perfect and still have little impact if it does not suit the personality of the performer. Foundations encourages magicians to select material critically and adapt it to their own style.

Rather than simply copying successful performers, the goal is to develop an individual voice, attitude and way of presenting magic.

Who Is This Book For?

The book is particularly suitable for:

- professional magicians
- serious amateur magicians
- stage and stand-up performers
- mentalists
- competition performers
- artists developing a new act or show
- magicians more interested in presentation than in collecting new tricks

Beginners can gain many useful fundamental ideas from the book. However, it is likely to be most valuable to performers who already have some experience in front of an audience and want to analyse their work more consciously.

Practical Value

Foundations is not a book that you read once and then consider finished.

Many of its ideas become more meaningful when compared with your own performing experience. For this reason, it is a useful book to return to repeatedly while developing or refining a show.

This long-term practical value makes it especially interesting for working magicians.

The English Edition

The English edition makes Riese’s ideas accessible to an international audience and is particularly interesting for collectors and performers who prefer magic literature in English.

For readers who want to explore show structure, dramaturgy and professional presentation in greater depth, Foundations goes far beyond traditional trick-based magic literature.