Among the guests is Baron Duphol (Stephen Targett, centre at left), her current lover. Her friend Gaston (Artour Razgoev, centre at right) introduces her to a new admirerer, Alfredo Germont (Romulo Delgado).
The guests are in the mood for a toast. The Baron refuses, ill-tempered because of Alfredos obvious interest in Violetta, but Alfredo takes up the challenge and toasts love, beauty and youth. Violetta toasts a life of pleasure the only life she knows.
All the guests join in celebrating the giddy pleasures of life, wine and song.
The guests turn in consternation when Violetta falters and almost faints as she attempts to lead her guests in to dinner her close friends know that she is tubercular, but she claims only that she has felt a chill, and that shell follow them in to dinner after she has rested a moment.
Alfredo returns, concerned that her current lifestyle is killing her, and eager to tell her that he has been secretly in love with her since the day he saw her a year before.
Touched, Violetta gives him the camelia she has been wearing, and tells him to return when it has withered. Alfredo is overjoyed he knows that the flower will wither by morning.