Dearest friend,
Your Lohengrin is a sublime work from one end to the other. The tears rose from my heart in more than one place. The whole opera being one indivisible wonder, I cannot stop to point out any particular passage, combination, or effect. A pious ecclesiastic once underlined word for word the whole Imitatio Christi; in the same way I might underline your Lohengrin note for note. In that case, however, I should like to begin at the end; that is, at the duet between Elsa and Lohengrin in the third act, which to my thinking is the acme of the beautiful and true in art.
Our first representation was, comparatively speaking, satisfactory. Herr von B., who will see you soon, will bring you very accurate news. The second performance cannot take place before ten or twelve days. The court and the few intelligent persons in Weymar are full of sympathy and admiration for your work; and as to the public at large, they will think themselves in honour bound to admire and applaud what they cannot understand. As soon as I have a little rest I shall begin the article which will probably appear in the Débats; in the meantime Raff, about whom B. will speak to you, will write two notices in the journal of Brockhaus and in the Leipzig Illustrirte Zeitung. Uhlig will look after Brendel's paper, etc.
If you have a moment, do not forget to write to Genast, who has very warmly interested himself in the success of Lohengrin. You may be quite assured of the fate of the masterpiece in Weymar, which is, no doubt, a little surprised at being able to produce such things. Before the end of the winter Lohengrin will certainly become a "draw."
When shall we have Siegfried? Write to me soon, and always count on your devoted friend and servant, F. Liszt.
Source: Project Gutenberg eBook #3835, Correspondence of Wagner and Liszt — Volume 1, No. 40