Here’s the storyline of Verdi’s La Traviata (“The Fallen Woman”): Alfredo, a young man from the provinces, has come to Paris and fallen in love at a distance with a woman of rather uncertain reputation named Violetta Valéry, finally getting to meet her face to face at a party she’s giving. He’s the one who leads the festivities with the chorus, “Libiamo ne’ lieti calici”– “Drink from the joyful cup.” (I’ve sung this chorus with my own choir on a program that featured selections from opera–it was great fun.) Then everyone except for Violetta moves into the next room for dancing, but she’s having a coughing fit. (Ominous foreshadowing here.) Alfredo comes back to find her and declares his love in the lovely “Un dì, felice, eterea”– “One day, happy and ethereal.” He leaves, Violetta declares that she must be “sempre libera”–”always free,” but we know she’ll get together with Alfredo when we hear his voice as he goes down the street outside, giving an encore of “Un di.” And that’s the end of Act One.