David Berglas - Mystery of the Vanishing Piano

[@StephaneFitch]

Amazing. Hell of a profile in the Times, by the way. Congratulations! What a remarkable gift you've given the world with your creativity. Thank you!

[@poppys33d]

Yes, absolutely fantastic. What brilliance.

[@wildman2012]

The Times article brought me here as well. How does he do that card trick??

[@AndrewBassoEntertainment]

Thank you for this ❤ David, an immortal legend.

[@David-dy7xc]

One of the great tricks of all time they really amazed but I won't give away the secret my hat off to you

[@Wonderhussy]

What a boss! I've always been so curious about how magicians do these illusions...and I love that he felt OK to tell how he did this one. In no way does this diminish the artistry of the illusion -- it just makes me admire him (and the team who helped him) more! Bravo!!!!

[@MarceloAbans]

This isn't an Illusion, it's a trick. Illusions play with the limits of your senses, makes you believe something is there when it's not, it lies to you. A trick is more akin to a problem needing to be solved where you see one person have the answer and you're amazing how good they are able to do it; think people who do math quickly in their head. Just about every Magic Trick can be figured out and when you do figure it there's always an "AH HA!". Even when you know how the trick is done, the amazing can still be there. For a great example of this see Penn and Teller's Cup and Ball trick.

[@Sampoochy]

@@MarceloAbans Well this trick did incorporate sound illusion, as the sound of the piano was coming from a piano behind a curtain, not where people assumed.

[@MarceloAbans]

@@Sampoochy That isn't an illusion, that's misdirection. The sound is there, the sound is a hidden piano, it was reinforcing. Like when someone hands you a pack of cards like "Check these out!! See just a normal pack of cards." If they were using a recording, that'd make it an Illusion, IMO. An illusion is like mirage. See Pen & Teller's Coins & Fish Trick, I know I'm coming off as a STAN but they are great at explaining the intellectual relationship between tricks and honesty.

[@Sampoochy]

@@MarceloAbans "The Franssen effect is an auditory illusion where the listener incorrectly localizes a sound. It was found in 1960 by Nico Valentinus Franssen (1926-1979), a Dutch physicist and inventor." It's literally an auditory illusion, and notable because he performed it a few years before Franssen. You seem to be suggesting that the word illusion has a different definition to magicians, but to the perceiver, does it really matter? I say no, because I am not a magician, I simply enjoy magic. Perhaps you are a magician so it matters more to you.

[@fontclover7302]

@@MarceloAbans "ILLUSIONS, Dad. You don't have time for my ILLUSIONS." -Gob Bluth

[@jamesbarris6477]

Wow, that's a trick where the method is just as entertaining as the effect.

[@tonyhassini9718]

Fantastic absolutely brilliant

[@FlightSims]

Simply brilliant and amazing! Thanks for your story. Cheers 🥂

[@houdannycomedymagic8642]

Absolutely perfect story! Thank you for sharing it.

[@londono1]

Just fabulous, David. Your imagination and sense of the dramatic are unparalleled.

[@torelie6581]

Its so wonderfull hearing from you. I love magic. I love it. Tore, 44, Norway.

[@davidfanning1600]

Great stuff!

[@FungasUK]

Wonderful story!

[@beaucarr9612]

I came here after reading that profile in the NYT, too. I was actually fairly impressed with myself, as I pegged the piano player miming the playing, as well as the misdirection using the cigarette and the chandelier. But I couldn't figure out how you got the chandelier to flicker and sway. And I didn't figure out how you got the grand piano out of their. So clever.

[@brucegelman5582]

Wonderful!!!!

[@indulgence03]

Great story. Thanks

[@kberken]

Perfect!

[@JasonM00n]

Incredible!

[@jennifer86010]

I'm far more concerned about the Actual Vanishing of Pianos around the world. As pianos have become more expensive, and compact electric pianos and guitars have taken over people's musical consciousness, the magnificence of large grand pianos has disappeared from hotels, ballrooms, theaters, night clubs and even some music schools, not to mention people's homes. A home piano is where friends and family can gather around to sing drinking songs, Christmas and holiday songs, and have karaoke parties. This has been a great tradition for centuries. Now, only a giant screen TV with huge speaker system sits, where in past days, a real grand piano brought love, laughter and life to everyone.

[@80s_Gamr]

That's a great story.

[@skat1140]

It would be wonderful to see the actual rigged piano- but he probably junked that one-off prop very soon after the performance. So much time and effort for one trick (but well worth it)!

[@martinprice7162]

crikey - not heard this story for donkeys years . Berglas told this on The Magic Circle LP in the late seventies or early eighties........

[@mysticmarkthemagician5852]

Now thats what I call being bold.

[@Zeitgeist971]

How did he make the chandelier shake?

[@snoolee7950]

did not say how the chandelier flickered and swayed

[@donnasummer6285]

Some things need to be kept a 🤐

[@bcoldwell1]

Perhaps there more faux waiters....🤔

[@csilt]

He had another friend near the fuss box switch for the light who was listening to him speak via walkie talkie with someone holding the transmitting walkie talkie to one of the PA speakers. He flickered the lights on cue. His other friend had some fishing line tied to the chandelier which caused the rocking.

[@smoog]

Control over electrickery is one of the first things a Warlock learns.

[@skat1140]

Obviously he got a ladder and rigged some fishing line (or sometimes chandeliers have maintenance hatches above them, so it would be even easier).

[@MexieMex]

Fantastic ;^>

[@joancollins54]

I want one of those concert grands for 6 pounds....

[@imeddiewilson1572]

So the trick was "look.... An angel, (kick bear in nards)" john west : canned salmon: commercial?

[@satychary]

Lol, awesome :)