The origins of Nabucco are steeped in an aura of legend, mostly because this opera marks the emergence of Verdi's individual style. In fact it began at the lowest ebb of his fortunes, after the young man had been practically booed off the stage, and had sent all the furniture from his Milanese home back to Busseto: he must have considered it useless and too painful to remain there alone after all the tender associations had been rooted out. The handwritten, almost too detailed list of furniture which Verdi sent to Barezzi has come down to us, and provides a brief glimpse into the sadness of this move:

The furniture remained at Busseto, and Verdi put it out of his life, like his destroyed family. He returned to Milan, to feed his melancholy and lack of confidence, and also to attend a revival of Oberto, which did not however repeat its original success:‘ … the music (especially in the first act) seemed to many more insipid this year than last’.