Act 1
The young Violetta Valery is the radiant focus of society.  The young Alfredo Germont is presented to her at a party.  He has secretly admired her for some time.  Everybody takes to the dance floor but Violetta suddenly feels faint and remains behind.  Alfred seizes the opportunity to declare his love for her.  His openness moves Violetta and she arranges to meet him the next day.  Left alone, she feels torn between her glamorous but ultimately empty existence and the hope of starting a new life with Alfredo.

Act 2
Scene 1
Violetta has retired to the country to live with Alfredo, leaving the city and her former life behind her.  He learns by chance that Violetta is about to sell all her property to finance their life together.  He sets out to raise the money they need himself. While Alfredo is away, his father Giorgio Germont calls.  He appeals to Violetta to break off this scandalous relationship with Alfredo since it is endangering the forthcoming marriage of his daughter.  Violetta initially waves him away but finally agrees out of compassion for the young bride when Germont tells her that their relationship is doomed in any case because of her past life.  She sees no alternative but to return to her former way of life. When Alfredo arrives and Violetta takes her leave of him, he has no idea that this is for ever.  Shortly afterwards, he receives a farewell letter.  Germont appears and tries in vain to persuade his despairing son to return home.  Alfredo notices an invitation to a party from Violetta’s friend Flora and dashes off.
Scene 2
Alfredo arrives at Flora’s party and realises that Violetta has gone back to her former lover, Baron Douphol.  He wins at cards and challenges the Baron.  When he wins again, he confronts the Baron. While the guests are dining, Violetta tries in vain to persuade Alfredo to leave the party, without telling him the real reason for her behaviour.  Raging with jealousy, Alfredo calls for the guests to act as witnesses and uses the money to humiliate Violetta as public "payment" for the time they had spent together.

Act 3
Seriously ill, and abandoned by everyone, Violetta is waiting for Alfredo, who is living abroad but has meanwhile been told the true reasons for her behaviour by his father.  When he arrives, they both dream one last time about the happiness of their love.  Then her strength deserts her, and Violetta dies.

Set in and around Paris in about 1850.

Act I

Violetta Valéry, a Parisian courtesan, greets the guests at her salon. Among them are Flora Bervoix, the Marchese D’Obigny, Baron Douphol and Gastone, who introduces Violetta to a new admirer of hers, Alfredo Germont. The young Germont, who has been admiring her from afar, joins her in a drinking song. An orchestra strikes up in an adjacent room, inviting the guests to dance. As the guests make their way to the ballroom, Violetta, who is suffering from consumption, feels faint; she therefore sends the guests on ahead and retires to her boudoir to recover. Alfredo enters and, realising that they are alone, admits his love for her. She replies that love means nothing to her. She
is, however, touched by the young man’s sincerity and promises to meet him the following day.
When the guests have departed, she asks herself whether Alfredo is the man she could love. Despite
the strains of Alfredo’s love song drifting in from outside, she decides she prefers her freedom.

Act II

scene 1
A few months later: Alfredo and Violetta have set up house together in the country, outside Paris. Alfredo says how happy they are, but when Violetta’s maid Annina lets on that Violetta has been selling her belongings to pay for the house, he hastens into town to raise the money himself. Violetta comes in search of him and discovers an invitation from her friend Flora to a soirée that very night. Violetta has no intention of returning to her former life, but she is forced to reconsider
on encountering Alfredo’s father. He is very taken with Violetta and her civilised manners but orders her to renounce Alfredo: his son’s scandalous liaison with Violetta is threatening his daughter’s forthcoming marriage. Violetta considers his demand unreasonable, but before long Germont succeeds in persuading her. Alone and desolate, Violetta sends a reply to Flora accepting her invitation and sits down to write a farewell letter to Alfredo. His return takes her by surprise, and she can barely restrain herself as she passionately reminds him how much she loves him before
rushing out. As the maid brings him Violetta’s farewell letter, Germont returns to console his son and reminds him of life in their family home in Provence. Alfredo spots Flora’s invitation and suspects that Violetta has left him for another man. In a rage, he decides to confront her at the soirée.

scene 2
At the soirée, Flora hears from the Marchese that Violetta and Alfredo have parted. Flora asks the guests to make way for a visiting troupe of performing gypsies. They are followed by matadors and a song about Piquillo and his sweetheart. Alfredo rushes in and delivers some bitter comments about love and gambling. Violetta appears on the arm of Baron Douphol, who challenges Alfredo to a game of cards and loses a small fortune to him. As the guests go in to supper, Violetta asks to have a word with Alfredo in private. She is afraid the Baron will be enraged by his loss and urges Alfredo to leave. Alfredo misunderstands her and orders her to admit she loves the Baron. Disappointed by Alfredo’s reaction, Violetta lies and confesses that yes, she does. Alfredo calls the other guests to gather round in order to denounce his former beloved in public and throws the money he has won at her feet. Germont, arriving at that very moment, expresses his disapproval of his son’s behaviour. The guests likewise rebuke Alfredo and Douphol challenges him to a duel.

Act III

Violetta’s bedroom, six months later. Dr Grenvil tells Annina that her mistress has not long to live –
the consumption has taken its toll. Alone, Violetta rereads a letter from Germont saying that the Baron was only slightly wounded in his duel with Alfredo, that Alfredo has heard the truth and is
coming to beg her pardon. But Violetta realises it is too late. It is carnival time in Paris and, the sounds of the revellers having passed, Annina rushes in to announce Alfredo. The lovers ecstatically plan to leave Paris. Germont enters with the doctor just as Violetta rises from her bed with the last of her strength. Feeling a sudden rush of life, she sways and falls dead at her lover’s feet.