Sharps & Flats

P:It was a cheery week for the Met and for U.S. symphony orchestras. After Nov. 1, thanks to the new federal tax law, nonprofit musical organizations are exempt from the 20% federal admissions tax. P:TheNew York Philharmonic-Symphony got a separate windfall. Grieved by news that the Philharmonic suffered its worst deficit in history last year ($110,000), the 65 musicians of the Austin (Texas) Symphony Orchestra (last year's deficit: $4,000) chipped in $1 apiece, sent their collection along to help the New Yorkers.

P: Italian opera companies got no fiscal comfort at all. The economy-minded Italian Senate recommended that the government's annual subsidy to opera (last year 2 billionlire-about $3,000,000) be cut in half. Among those badly hit, if the government follows the Senate's advice: Milan's famed La Scdla, which counts on its 400 million-lire subsidy for half of its budget.

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