(WNY News Now – FREDONIA – The 1891 Fredonia Opera House will present Borromini & Bernini: The Challenge for Perfection, a special cinematic exploration of the rivalry between two celebrated Baroque artists, on Sat., Jan. 20, at 1 p.m. The screening is part of the Opera House’s Art & Architecture On Screen Series.
This is a journey into the great beauty of Baroque Rome, when the city was the center of western art and where
every ambitious painter, sculptor and architect had to be. It is the story of the most famous artistic rivalry of all
time, the one between Borromini and Bernini. It is also the story of Borromini’s rivalry with himself as a genius so absorbed by his art that he turns it into a demon, forcing him to choose death to reach eternity.
Borromini deprived himself of everything to pursue a dream to conquer Rome. He was a solitary maestro who
changed the appearance of Rome forever, by pushing himself to his limit, but also by battling conventions and
prejudices, with the humility to learn from the past to invent the future, and the courage to pursue an idea despite knowing he would pay the price in the end.
The production runs approximately one hour, 30 minutes. Individual tickets are $15, ($10 students). Tickets may be purchased in person at the Opera House Box Office or by phone at 716-679-1891, Tuesday-Friday, 12-4:30 p.m.
Tickets may be purchased online anytime at http://www.fredopera.org. Opera House programming is made possible, in
part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York
State Legislature and the United Arts Appeal of Chautauqua County. For this production, the Opera House is equipped with assistive listening headsets for the hearing-impaired. Simply request one from any usher or Opera House staff member.
The 1891 Fredonia Opera House Performing Arts Center is a member-supported not-for-profit performing arts
center with a mission to “present the performing arts for the benefit of our community and region … providing
access to artistic diversity … and high quality programming at an affordable price.” It is located in Village Hall in
downtown Fredonia. For a complete schedule of events, visit http://www.fredopera.org.
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