In the sixth program of the season, San Francisco Ballet premieres Caprice, artistic director Helgi Tomasson's first new ballet since 2011's Trio. The abstract ballet is set to French composer Camille Saint-Saëns's Symphony No. 2, with an extra adagio movement originally written for organ, an instrument Saint-Saëns knew intimately, imported from his more famous Symphony No. 3 and adapted for wind instruments. Heavily laden with duets, Caprice promises to show America's oldest ballet company at its virtuosic best. Also on the bill is Mark Morris' Maelstrom, his first work for the company, created 20 years ago. Danced to the music of Beethoven's "Ghost" Piano Trio, the piece features Morris' signature joyous simplicity. Rounding out the evening is Yuri Possokhov's 2013 version of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. The Rite is associated with the mad dancer Nijinsky and rioting audiences in Paris, and Possokhov makes his ballet earthy and Russian to the raucous, rhythmic score.
Fri., April 4, 8 p.m.; Sun., April 6, 2 p.m.; Wed., April 9, 7:30 p.m.; Thu., April 10, 8 p.m.; Sat., April 12, 2 & 8 p.m.; Tue., April 15, 8 p.m., 2014
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