Opera Australia Orchestra associated with working in the Sydney Opera House orchestra pit. The OAO provides orchestral accompaniment to Opera Australia and The Australian Ballet and is one of the few opera orchestras in the world that operates in a repertory style of operation over a period, or season, that can be some months in length. Other opera houses that operate this way are The Metropolitan Opera in New York City, The Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London and La Scala, Milan. 'Repertory style' also infers that over time, certain composers and operas become considered 'standard' to the working operation of the
La Scala to follow opera libretti in English and Italian in addition to the original language. The opera house re-opened on 7 December 2004 with a production, conducted by Riccardo Muti, of Salieri's "Europa riconosciuta", the opera performed at La Scala's inauguration in 1778. Tickets for the re-opening fetched up to €2,000. The renovations cost a reported €61 million, and left a budget shortfall that the opera house overcame in 2006. Carlo Fontana, the general manager of La Scala since 1990, was dismissed in February 2005 by the board of governors over differences with the music director, Riccardo Muti. The resulting staff