Floating Points
Mere Mortals (2LP)
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This album Mere Mortals is composer-producer Floating Points’s (Sam Shepherd) first full-length ballet score. Shepherd, who is known for mesmeric live sets that often combine acoustic and electronic instruments, wrote the work in response to a commission from Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director of San Francisco Ballet.
Inspired by the myth of Pandora and laced with metatextual poetry, Mere Mortals was premiered at San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House in January 2024, directed by Rojo, with choreography by Aszure Barton and design and visuals by Hamill Industries. The score blends orchestral and electronic sounds to powerful effect, echoing the retelling of the myth by drawing parallels between Pandora’s story and the unforeseeable impact of scientific progress on our own society today.
Release notes
Black vinyl edition with etching. Score commisioned by San Francisco Ballet Association
| A1 | Movement 1 - Fire | 5:25 | |
| A2 | Movement 2 - Hope | 0:45 | |
| A3 | Movement 3 - Rage Of The Gods | 3:11 | |
| A4 | Movement 4 - Zeus' Command | 3:32 | |
| A5 | Movement 5 - Pandora's Creation | 6:42 | |
| B1 | Movement 6 - Pandora's Theme | 4:28 | |
| B2 | Gift From The Gods | 2:31 | |
| B3 | Falling To Earth | 9:19 | |
| B4 | Prometheus' Warning | 3:31 | |
| C1 | Her Gift | 5:36 | |
| C2 | Opening Of The Jar | 6:08 | |
| C3 | A Plea | 4:36 | |
| C4 | Hope Taking Flight | 1:39 | |
| C5 | Nowhere To Land | 3:55 |
- Scott Thornton
- Bass Trombone
- Dana Jackson
- Bassoon
- Rufus Olivier
- Bassoon
- Britton Day
- Celesta
- Eric Sung
- Cello
- Mariko Wyrick
- Cello
- Matthew Linaman
- Cello
- Michelle Djokic
- Cello
- Ruth Lane
- Cello
- Saul Richmond-Rakerd
- Cello
- Thalia Moore
- Cello
- Sean Krissman
- Clarinet
- Eric Chi
- Clarinet, Bass Clarinet
- Jon Lancelle
- Contrabass
- Mark Wallace
- Contrabass
- Michael Minor
- Contrabass
- Shinji Eshima
- Contrabass
- Dann Thompson
- Engineer
- Robert Gatley
- Engineer
- Sean Martin
- Engineer
- Tim Pennells
- Engineer
- Julie McKenzie
- Flute
- Stephanie McNab
- Flute
- Susan Kang
- Flute
- Annabelle Taubl
- Harp
- Miriam Adefris
- Harp
- Brian McCarty
- Horn
- Keith Green
- Horn
- Kevin Rivard
- Horn
- Phillip Palmore
- Horn
- BG
- Lacquer Cut By
- Martin West
- Music Director, Conductor
- Laura Griffiths
- Oboe
- Marilyn Coyne
- Oboe
- San Francisco Ballet Orchestra
- Orchestra
- Ben Paysen
- Percussion
- Mckenzie Lanefeld
- Percussion
- Victor Avdienko
- Percussion
- Sam Shepherd
- Piano
- Arianna Rodriguez
- Soprano Vocals
- Zubin Hathi
- Timpani
- Jeffrey Budin
- Trombone
- Michael Cox
- Trombone
- Adam Luftman
- Trumpet
- Joseph Brown
- Trumpet
- Peter Wahrhaftig
- Tuba
- Elizabeth Prior
- Viola
- Emily Onderdonk
- Viola
- Joy Fellows
- Viola
- Katherine Johnk
- Viola
- Natalia Vershilova
- Viola
- Yi Zhou
- Viola
- Ani Bukujian
- Violin
- Bronwyn James
- Violin
- Cordula Merks
- Violin
- Craig Reiss
- Violin
- Dian Zhang
- Violin
- Emma Noël Votapek
- Violin
- Evan Price
- Violin
- Georges Hayes
- Violin
- Heeguen Song
- Violin
- Heidi Wilcox
- Violin
- Jeanelle Meyers-Macomber
- Violin
- Jennifer Choi Fischer
- Violin
- Karen Shinosaki
- Violin
- Laura Keller
- Violin
- Mariya Borozina
- Violin
- Mayumi Wyrick
- Violin
- Minsun Choi
- Violin
- Robin Hansen
- Violin
- Wenyi Shih
- Violin
