The Portland daily press., 1868-11-23
Criticism,

Criticism may be defined to be the applca-
ton of knowledge in judging of the merits of a
literary performance, or production in the
hne arts; and the fine arts embrace poetry,
music, paining and the drama. Any person
therefore who writes criticism, whether it be
OF poem, painting, musical entertain
ment, or a theatrical performance, is presum-
ed to have applied his individual knowledge in
judging of them and laid it before the public
as candid expression of his opinion, either
favorable or otherwise. Many people however.
while they agree to the above definition in so
far as it relates to critic of literary, music
al, art, or dramatic journal, contend that il
does not apply to a critic of daily paper.
They insist that he should express pubic opin-
ion instead. 1t would not be a possible thing
TO do SO. Applause at concert or theatre
may be striking proof of qualification on the
part OF large number of the audience,
(though not of an equally large number who
keep silent) but it may often be owing to the
sentiment of the music on the one hand, or the
lang uage Ofthe dramatic author on the other.
and not to the artistic singing of the cantatrice
or the superior acting of the player Again,
the introduction of one Lingard's songs by an
actress who was performing the part of Lady
Macbeth might give great satisfaction to ma.
Jority OF the spectators but we doubt if it could
hardly be considered in good taste. Yet this
majority would urge that the critic ought not
to say so. seE ra OBI 5E r'aI -sa
There is wide spread feeling that if mer-
chant, a shopman, or a Snowman, bestows a
large advertisement upon paper for which he
pays large price, that it necessarily entities
him to very favorable and fattering notice
for which he pays nothing They seem to for.
get that 1t is a mere matter of bargain and
sole, Just the same as If you should buy of him
twenty dollars worth of goods. You take the
goods and pay him his twenty dollars. but Won
do not think that necessarily he sbould dis
count three or four dollars on the purchase
money But this feeling is very prevalent
with managers of theatre companies and mn.
s'cai impressarios, who think the equivalent
to good notice of their company, no matter
how poor that company may be, is expressed
IN the form of tickets to the performance. from
which the critic had often rather stay away.
fthe critic perhaps uninfolmed of the name
of musical composition, which is substituted
by the performer for the one laid down in the
programme, happens to give the programme
name to it, another set of carpers sneer at his
musical knowledge, forgetting that so long as
he speaks truly Of the manner in which the ar
tist performs it the fact of ignorance of the IL
tic is of little consequence. .gU-.. e
1t may be seen, therefore, that the life of
critic is not a bed of roses. One party blames
him for saying thing is good, and another
vlce-versa. Neither do critics agree among
themselves any more than doctors. One critic
admires and praises that the other condemns.
and yet, looked at from different standpoints
both may be right. This statement NAV be
paradoxical in form but not in substance.
A. ln conclusion, therefore, we will simply say
tlat IL does not seem right to attack the news
paper critic, who is employed to inform the
pupllc what has unbiased opinion is ON certain
subjects, and leave them to judge for them
selves. MERcUTIo.