But the journey to Milan was not merely a honeymoon. Verdi also wished to re-establish his contacts in a city where, as he must have realised, he would be offered his first chance of success, particularly since Massini had promised to perform the opera which he had recently finished on Piazza's libretto.

The duties of maestro di cappella called him back to Busseto, and his conscientiousness in fulfilling these can be seen in the annual reports of pupils who gave public concerts, and in his constant appearances at the head of the worthy Philharmonic Society during the frequent musical events which took place in the city and surrounding countryside.

This period also includes his first publications: in the winter of 1838 the Milanese publisher Canti brought out Verdi's first printed work, the Sei Romanze (Six Romances). They are true chamber music although, as Oberdorfer points out,