The term '___-LA' is a combination of the six crossword solutions: TRA (3 letters), MER (3 letters), PAZ (3 letters), SCALA (5 letters), PALOMA (6 letters), and TRAVIATA (8 letters). TRA stands for 'Teatro alla Scala, ' which is an opera house in Milan, Italy. MER stands for 'Marchese Emilio, ' who was a patron of the Teatro alla Scala. PAZ stands for 'Pazza interamente, ' which is an aria from the opera 'La traviata' by Giuseppe Verdi. SCALA stands for 'Scala di seta, ' which is an opera buffa by Gioachino Rossini. PALOMA stands for 'Paloma O'Shea, ' who was a Spanish pianist and musicologist. Finally, TRAVIATA stands for 'La traviata, ' which is an opera by Giuseppe Verdi.