Playlists by theme


Although many programs on Prisms are relatively freeform, most are unified by a single theme running through all three hours.

For a time, some of these themed programs were explicitly organized into recurring series of programs, each with its own particular metatheme and raison d'être. While Prisms is no longer being organized in terms of series with strict scheduling patterns (for more information, see the Upcoming programs page), there will still be programs of the sort that would have fit into those series -- thus, all programs of the same type are grouped together below, whether part of a series or not.

Some programs fit partially with the groupings listed below (e.g.: a program for which half, but not all, of the time was dedicated to a single composer), and these are mentioned in passing at the end of the grouping in question.



Programs centered on a single composer. All programs listed here that ran before the end of 2002 were part of the Featured composers series.

Also, the unthemed programs from June 29 2000 (#9) and December 21 2000 (#33), along with the Xenakis-centered program from October 17 2002 (#116), were partially devoted to a single composer. And of course almost all the programs centered on large-scale pieces with a theatrical dimension are de facto composer-centered programs.
Programs concentrating on works that are very well-known, popular (then or now), or considered part of basic classical repertoire. All programs listed here that ran before the end of 2001 were part of the Big hits of the twentieth century series.
Programs concentrating on large-scale theatrical works of some sort. All programs listed here that ran before the end of 2002 were part of the 20th-century Theatre Pieces series.

Listings for the Speculative fiction/experimental music series are also relevant to this category, as all works featured were to some degree theatrical in nature. Shows that anthologized multiple smaller works of a staged/theatrical nature (such as the programs from October 16 2003 [#168] and October 23 2003 [#169]) would also be germane to this category. Frank Zappa's Civilization Phaze III (December 4 2003, #175) was conceived as a stagework, and Lou Reed's The Raven (May 8 2003, #145) more or less fits this category, since it is a digest of a stagework.
Programs focusing on Northwest composers and performers. All programs listed here that ran before the end of 2002 were part of the Northwest composers series.

Many other programs include local composers and performers. Of particular significance are the programs from June 29 2000 (#9), June 21 2001 (#58), February 13 2003 (#133), July 31 2003 (#157), September 25 2003 (#165), October 9 2003 (#167), October 30 2003 (#170), and November 27 2003 (#174).
Programs centered on a particular instrumentation:

Also relevant are the unthemed programs from June 1 2000 (#5), June 29 2000 (#9), September 21 2000 (#21), December 7 2000 (#31), July 19 2001 (#62), January 30 2003 (#131), September 4 2003 (#162), and possibly the program from December 20 2001 (#84).
Programs concentrating somehow on works related to Asian music/instrumentation, Asian culture, or transformations/representations of the same. All programs listed for 2001 and 2002 were part of the Asian voices/Dialogues with Asia series.

Also relevant is the unthemed program from September 25 2003 (#165).
Programs with a strong jazz focus:
Programs centered on particular compositional styles and frameworks:

Also possibly relevant (as described in further detail here) is the unthemed program from February 22 2001 (#41); and all programs from the Featured composers series, described above.
Programs including live or prepared collages by me:

The January 17 2002 end-of-year program featured either a very small collage or an original piece by me, depending on how you look at it.
Programs devoted to soundtracks. Thus far, all of these have been organized as limited-run series.

The unthemed programs from July 27 2000 (#13) and March 6 2003 (#136) also contained a significant soundtrack component.
Programs centered on particular areas / nations / regions:

Also relevant is the unthemed program from December 7 2000 (#31); to some extent, the "American tableaux" program from March 27 2003 (#139); and the Asian voices/Dialogues with Asia series in its entirety, described above.
Programs featuring music by female composers:
Programs concentrating on science fiction/fantasy themes. All programs before the end of 2000 were part of the Speculative fiction/experimental music series.
Programs centered on Big Ideas, Big Issues, and other weighty matters:

The three programs following September 11th 2001 all touch implicitly or explicitly on the events of that day: the September 13 (#70) feature program on Harrison Birtwistle's Gawain, the following week's unthemed program [September 20 (#71)], and the next week's feature program on Charles Ives [September 27 (#72)]. The program broadcast on September 11 2003 (#163) was explicitly crafted as a memorial and commentary on September 11th.

The December 12 2002 (#124) program entitled "In time of war" was put together with the looming Iraq war in mind. The unthemed program from January 16 2003 (#129) had a definite political cast and was a kind of follow-up to #124.

The February 21 2002 (#92) program entitled "Mass quantities" ended up slotting into this category, even though that wasn't the original intention.

The entirety of the Harnessings of the sacred series, which overlapped with several of the other series detailed above, is also relevant to this category: