L.A. Opera scales back

Los Angeles Opera will celebrate its 20th-anniversary season with the world premiere of Elliot Goldenthal’s “Grendel,” in a production co-commissioned by the company and the Lincoln Center Festival and directed by co-librettist Julie (“The Lion King”) Taymor.

The 2005-06 season will include one fewer production than the current season, however. Artistic director Edgar Baitzel said Thursday that last summer’s special presentation of “A Little Night Music” recouped only half its costs, forcing the company to scale back its plans.

“We’re a little more focused on quality than quantity next season,” Baitzel said.

The season will also include company premieres of Wagner’s “Parsifal” -- the second opera directed for the company by Robert Wilson -- and Offenbach’s “Grand Duchess of Gerolstein” in a new adaptation by film and television director Garry Marshall.

Revivals will include Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci,” Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro,” Puccini’s “Tosca” and “Madame Butterfly” (the Wilson production), and Verdi’s “La Traviata.”

Recitals by mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli and baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky will complete the season.

“Grendel,” based on a John Gardner novel, will feature bass Eric Owens in the title role and mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves as the Dragon. The opera will be sung in English and Old English.

“The Beowulf legend told from the monster’s point of view has been an obsession of ours for years,” Taymor, who lives with Goldenthal, said Thursday in a statement to Los Angeles Opera. “The opera is a wild, darkly comic and challenging work that is at once mythic and extremely contemporary.”

In his final season as music director, Kent Nagano will conduct three of the eight operas: “Tosca,” “Parsifal” and “Marriage of Figaro.”

Star singers will include mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, tenor Ben Heppner, soprano Angela Gheorghiu, tenor Salvatore Licitra, bass Samuel Ramey and tenor Placido Domingo, the company’s general director.

Two productions will launch the season in one gala weekend. Offenbach’s “The Grand Duchess” will open Sept. 10 with Von Stade in the title role.

Franco Zeffirelli’s production of Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci” will open Sept. 11, with Heppner in his company debut as Canio. Gheorghiu, who sang Mimi in Puccini’s “La Boheme” last month, will sing Nedda. Nicola Luisotti will conduct.

The company’s first production of “Parsifal” will feature Domingo in the title role, Linda Watson as Kundry and bass Matti Salminen as Gurnemanz.

Ian Judge’s production of “Tosca” will feature Lithuanian soprano Violeta Urmana in the title role. Licitra will be Cavaradossi. Ramey will sing Scarpia.

The revival of Wilson’s “Butterfly” will star Patricia Racette in her company debut. Marcus Haddock will be Pinkerton. Vladimir Chernov will be Sharpless. Dan Ettinger will conduct.

Russian bass Ildar Abdrazakov and soprano Barbara Bonney will make their company debuts as Figaro and Susanna in Mozart’s “Marriage.” David Pittsinger and Adrianne Pieczonka will be Count and Countess Almaviva, respectively. Lucy Schaufer will sing Cherubino.

Elizabeth Futral will return as Violetta in Verdi’s “La Traviata,” Joseph Calleja will be Alfredo Germont. Dwayne Croft will be Giorgio Germont. Marta Domingo will direct. John Fiore will conduct.

In 2005-06, series subscriptions will range in price from $240 to $1,640. Single tickets will range from $25 to $190. All performances will take place at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.