Lost ... in the music

Michael Giacchino's compositions give the show a unique sound, adding character to its characters

You might think you know all of the characters who survived the crash of Oceanic Flight 815 on an island somewhere in the Pacific. But there is ... something else that also inhabits the complex scenario that is "Lost," besides The Others. Something that is heard, but not seen -- literally.

The 'Lost' Symphony The Honolulu Symphony Toyota Pops with composer-conductor Michael Giacchino, co-conductor Tim Simonec, and narrator and Emmy award winner Terry O'Quinn: In concert: 7:30 p.m. Saturday Place: Waikiki Shell Tickets: $36 to $94 (20 percent discount to seniors, students and military) Call: 792-2000 (days) or 524-0815, ext. 245 (evenings), or visit honolulusymphony.com The Program The "Lost" Symphony, accompanied by projected video and narrative interludes by O'Quinn reading "Messages from the Bottle" ACT I 1. "Lost" Main Theme 2. "Solitary" (Sayid, Boone and Shannon's Theme) 3. "Live Together, Die Alone" (Kate, Sawyer and Jack's Theme) 4. "Monsters are Such Interesting People" 5. "Island Love Themes" (Claire and Charlie, Sun and Jin, and Rose and Bernard's Themes) 6. "UnLocke'd Potential" (Locke's Theme) 7. "The Others" ACT II 8. "Peace Through Superior Firepower" 9. "Take a Hike" 10. "Dharmacide" (Ben's Theme) 11. "Travels with Hugo" (Hurley's Theme) 12. "Devotion" (Mr. Eko and Desmond's Theme) 13. "Oceans Apart" (Juliet's Theme) 14. "Under the Knife" 15. "Parting Words"

Ever since the Emmy Award-winning pilot captured the imagination of an international television audience, Michael Giacchino's fully orchestrated arrangements have been a crucial, if rather overlooked, component to the show's involving weave of storylines. More than incidental music, Giacchino's work has imbued the show's characters and stories with a palpable dramatic weight.

Saturday night at the Waikiki Shell, Giacchino will bring his striking music to the concert stage, with the help of the Honolulu Symphony Toyota Pops, his friend and co-conductor Tim Simonec, and narrator and popular cast member Terry O'Quinn, whose portrayal of the complicated John Locke just won him an Emmy Award for supporting actor in a drama.

"When you look at television, there are only a few shows that sound unique," Executive Producer Carlton Cuse said by phone Tuesday from his Los Angeles office. "I think 'Lost' is a leader in that category, and it's a real testament to Michael's genius as a composer. He's created a sound that's wholly identified with the show.

"It's also rare for a TV show to be scored symphonically. Most composers work with just a computer in a room, sampling tracks and including maybe a few live players. Michael's score for 'Lost' shows the quality of the collaboration he has with his musicians."

IF YOU'RE familiar with "Lost" co-creator J.J. Abrams' previous foray into network television, the action thriller "Alias," you've heard more of Giacchino's music. He's also scored the movies "Ratatouille," "The Incredibles" and "Mission: Impossible 3."

It was a foregone conclusion that Abrams and Giacchino would work together again on "Lost" (with the partnership continuing when Abrams starts shooting the 11th "Star Trek" movie in November). But they wanted to do something different this time 'round.

"We both grew up loving movies and TV with orchestral soundtracks," said Giacchino (pronounced Jyah-KEE-noh) by phone from L.A. last week.

But Giacchino knew that the added expense of a full orchestra in every episode could be seen as extravagant. "If you don't have a producer on your side, you're out of luck. I needed someone like J.J. to fight the network on this, so I'm glad he set the precedent when 'Lost' came around."

On "Alias," he said, he had three days to write and orchestrate a show's music; he has only two days for "Lost." "Week to week, it's a creative workout. Deadlines have never bothered me. There's no writer's block. ... In fact, I find boundaries force you to be more creative."

The show's writers actually make his job easier, Giacchino said. "The writers do an amazing job telegraphing emotions. ... Every character's story progresses, so while each of their music is thematic, there are several permutations, like Locke's. As they deal with each other, their themes sometimes combine and separate."

GIACCHINO'S regular orchestral setup for "Lost" is a bit unusual, as it doesn't include a woodwind section. "It does have strings, brass, four trombones, harp, crazy and odd percussion, and piano. When the network heard it was a 'jungle show,' it was obvious to them that it would also need 'jungle flutes.' Why would I want to do that? J.J. and I took the point of view of the characters, and sometimes we make them as uncomfortable as possible. The reason I don't use woodwinds is that it adds a comfort level to the music."

With the help of Simonec, Giacchino plans some surprises during the world premiere of the "Lost" Symphony. "We want to try, like the show, to give the audience something not exactly what they expect. We'll be taking the show's themes and arrange them for a full symphony orchestra, using the full palette of sounds. There will be slightly modified versions of the character themes. It's a great opportunity for me to refine my ideas, exploring all of the characters and their emotions, as well as the different locations."

Giacchino plans to expand on three pieces that are special favorites. "One is when we see the first time Locke walked after (we learned) he was confined to a wheelchair. Another is the episode where Hurley is handing out food to everybody. And the time the raft was built and launched. Those are the most emotional shows for me."

The music will be given additional dramatic flair with O'Quinn's narration, specially written by Cuse, co-creator Damon Lindelof, and 0writer assistant Monica Henderson.

"It'll be incredibly exciting to hear Michael's music played by upwards of 70 musicians on stage," Cuse said. "It'll sound fantastic. And it's appropriate to have the chance to debut this material for the first time ever in Honolulu, to have the music played in the same environment that influences the show."

"And the day I get back from Hawaii, I have to start doing the music for the first episode of the new season of 'Lost,'" Giacchino said.

LOST: Season 1 Soundtrack samples       3. World's Worst Beach Party   5. Run Like, Um... Hell 11. Departing Sun 27. Oceanic 815 Go to the iTunes store » LOST: Season 2 Soundtrack samples       2. Peace Through Superior Firepower   9. The Tribes Merge 11. All's Forgiven... Except Charlie 25. Bon Voyage, Traitor Go to the iTunes store » Required: To listen to MP3 audio clips, a music player must be installed on your computer. We recommend using either Apple iTunes (Mac/PC), Yahoo! MusicMatch Jukebox (PC), or RealNetworks RealPlayer (PC/Mac), available for free from their respective web sites.