A tragic tale of good intentions gone bad and missed opportunities. Duels, cards and soirées. Love, love lost and love found again – if too late.

It’s all part of the spectacle of “La Traviata,” selections from which Opera Verdi Europa will bring to The University of North Carolina at Greensboro Jan. 25 as part of the 2004-05 University Concert/Lecture Series, Six Great Nights! The performance begins at 8 p.m. in historic Aycock Auditorium. Tickets are $35, $30 and $25 (depending on location) and student tickets are $9, $8 and $6.

“La Traviata” tells the tale of Violetta Valéry and Alfredo Germont, who meet at a party in Paris. Alfredo expresses his love for Violetta, who eventually lives with him in a country house. When financial troubles drive the couple back to Paris, social norms and misunderstandings divide the couple. It is only on her deathbed that Violetta and Alfredo are reunited.

Since its inception in 1996, Opera Verdi has taken the best of the Bulgarian opera tradition and put it to work with operatic standards such as “Othello,” “Aida,” “La Boheme” and, at UNCG, “La Traviata.” Only in its second year touring the United States, Opera Verdi Europa has already won acclaim at European opera houses in Amsterdam, Netherlands; Schweinfurt, Germany; Salzburg, Austria; and Valencia, Spain.

Opera Verdi Europa’s selections of “La Traviata” is the third of six performances that make up Six Great Nights!, the 2004-05 UC/LS season that also includes the upcoming the Prague Symphony Orchestra on Feb. 8, “Cookin’” on Feb. 26 and Grammy award-winner Lou Rawls on April 16. Season subscriptions for these four “Spring Collection” performances are available through January 25.

For ticket and other information on this or other UC/LS events, call the UNCG Box Office at (336) 334-4849.