The Symphony of Lost (and Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu)

It is indeed fitting that many of our favorite characters in the Alternate reality will be coming together at a concert in the series finale (per Desmond’s statement). We know that Jack will be there with his son and Claire; and Desmond with Kate, Hurley, and Sayid. I am sure Faraday will be performing, as will Charlie and his band (despite his reluctance). I also expect to see Locke, Jin, Sun, and Sawyer, though by what course corrective force I do not know.

The idea of viewing Lost as a symphony or composition of musical themes is a good way to put it into perspective. One simple definition of a symphony is: a harmonious combination of elements —individual components that are brought together to create music.

What if we think of the Lost characters as the elements of a symphony? As the instruments, the themes, the notes. Each is unique, but together they create the melodies and harmonies of the masterpiece. Without even one of those elements — one instrument, one melody — the symphony would not be the same — indeed, the symphony would probably not exist at all. And if we think of the characters as those elements within the great symphony of Lost — what would it be without Boone, Walt, Aaron, Juliet, Locke, Jack, Kate…?
Each element, each instrument, plays a different role, and that role is of varying significance from one to the next, but without each element, without each instrument, the melody, the harmony, ,and ultimately the masterpiece itself cannot be complete. The symphony or the story — the tale of Lost — could simply not be. And that is truly what Lost means to me.

Along those lines, a few quick thoughts on the concert in the finale:

Specifically speaking, Fantaisie-Impromptu is the piano piece that Faraday has been heard playing on a few occasions (once as a child in the original timeline, and then as an adult in the ALT). Though I cannot know this for certain, I believe it is possible (perhaps even likely) that this will be the piece that Faraday performs at the concert (possibly in conjunction with Drive Shaft).

What interests me about this piece and the concert in general is the following:

Fantaisie-Impromptu, by Chopin, is a wonderful piece that is famous for its cross-rhythm. (Cross-rhythm is a rhythm in which the regular pattern of accents of the prevailing meter is contradicted by a conflicting pattern; the meter of the piece is in a permanent state of contradiction). In Fantaisie-Impromptu, Chopin uses many cross-rhythms (the right hand plays sixteenth notes against the left hand playing triplets)

Another way to view cross-rhythm is as a duality in music — two states existing in one, creating the piece as a whole. In terms of Lost, it is quite fitting — one final duality….

Since it is possible that all of the ALT characters will be present at the concert, it seems likely to me that this place and this moment will be crucial to the finale, and certainly to Desmond’s plan — his drive to ‘expose’ the truth of their existence in the ALT, to make them all aware of the original timeline reality and of their lives and purposes there; and, of course, of their purposes in the alternate reality.

And it seems only fitting that Daniel Faraday will be playing a critical role.

Faraday, the man behind the idea of the H-bomb — the man with the brain power to be a world class physicist and a famous classical musician. The man who ‘ignited’ the ALT by exploding the bomb — the energy of which sank the island and sparked the alternate reality (because the island could not sink in the original timeline due to consistent histories, and the energy had to go somewhere, thus the Alternate or Consciousness Reality).

Is it possible that Faraday that will now do the ‘mirror-image’ of what was done with the H-bomb? Will he open the consciousness portal of the true reality to the ALT Losties through the final duality in Lost, the musical masterpiece of the Fantaisie-Impromptu? First, he did it as a physicist. Now, will he do it as a musician?

If the ALT is truly a consciousness reality, Desmond (and now Hurley, and perhaps even Ben) have ‘awoken’ as one does in a Lucid Dream.

Wiki: A lucid dream is a dream in which the sleeper is aware that he or she is dreaming. When the dreamer is lucid, he or she can actively participate in and often manipulate the imaginary experiences in the dream environment. Lucid dreams can seem extremely real and vivid depending on a person’s level of self-awareness during the lucid dream.

(by the way – I do not think the ALT is simply a dream, but along the lines of Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass, I do believe it is a real existence but one of consciousness).

Perhaps what Desmond needs to happen for everyone is for them to become self-aware — to become in tune with both realities. It is the only way he can convince them then to do whatever it is they must do to stop the Smoke Monster….

From a statement on Lucid Dreaming:

o There are endless amounts of methods and techniques used to induce lucid dreams. While there are many pills and other one-step methods claiming to instantly induce them, it is widely believed that no technique works better than music.

It may not be the music itself, but I believe it will play a role in whatever critical event occurs at the concert… though, of course, I have no way of knowing, and, admittedly, my theories are never quite as accurate as I like…

In any case — I am looking forward to the finale and the forthcoming answers to many of our questions! (not answers to all – but to many)

I hope to write again after the finale, but this will most likely be my last theory before the series end (unless I have a sudden brainstorm very soon), so thanks to all who have taken the time to read and comment on my theories, and thanks even more for posting such great theories of your own, some of which amazed me with the insight, and from which I was able to build my own ideas and thoughts…..