This will be an introduction to my course 'Introducing Opera', which aims to offer students a way into the world of opera. I will give an over-view of the history and traditions of this art form, and give a sense of the role that it has played in European culture. We will then look at Verdi's 'La Traviata', and see how it emerged from a real-life story in 1840s Paris to becoming the much-loved opera that we know today.