The crowd applauded for 12 minutes and 15 curtain calls

A sell-out crowd on Tuesday evening gave musical director Riccardo Muti and his singers 12 minutes of applause and 15 curtain calls.

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi watched the production of Antonio Salieri's Europa Riconosciuta, the first opera staged at La Scala in 1778.

Screens were erected around Milan and roads near La Scala were sealed off.

Fashion giant Giorgio Armani attended the re-opening alongside legendary actress Sophia Loren.

Mr Armani described the opera as a special, sophisticated work, while Mr Berlusconi claimed a long-standing admiration for 18th century music.

The prime minister was among 1,000 VIPs invited to a post-performance party in a converted steel factory that now serves as a La Scala costume warehouse.

In pictures: The rebuilding of La Scala Italian media hails triumph

Mr Muti, who had hailed Sunday's dress rehearsal of Salieri's work as a triumph, taking place amid a "party atmosphere", has championed the 18th-century composer.

He recently said Salieri, who fell on hard times after the original La Scala opening, should be regarded among the musical giants of his day.

Because the opera has not been performed since its original run, La Scala had to print the score for Europa Riconosciuta from scratch, working from the original manuscripts in its library.

The renovation work, carried out amid criticism and fear that the venue would be ruined, was done to improve the theatre's acoustics and ability to stage productions.

The stage was entirely re-constructed, making it possible, in theory, to stage three different operas on the same day.

Tickets for the re-opening fetched up to 2,000 euros (�1,380)

The heavy red carpets in the hall were also removed, reportedly improving the theatre's sound.

Another modernising touch was the fitting of electronic displays behind each seat to allow the audience to follow the libretto in several languages.

This is not the first re-opening of La Scala. The theatre was destroyed by a bomb during World War II.

It was rebuilt in record time and re-opened in 1946 with a concert conducted by the legendary Arturo Toscanini.