Halo Original Soundtrack: Difference between revisions

As the audio director for [[Bungie]], [[Martin O'Donnell]] was tasked with writing the music for ''Halo: Combat Evolved''.<ref name=ancient>{{cite web|author=Carlson|year=2001|url=http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo/themakers3.htm|title=Just the Right Sense of "Ancient"|publisherwebsite=Xbox.com|access-date=January 11, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070301150741/http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo/themakers3.htm|archive-date=March 1, 2007}}</ref> He had scored previous Bungie projects, including ''[[Myth (computer game series)|Myth: The Fallen Lords]]'', while working for his audio company, TotalAudio, along with [[Michael Salvatori]].<ref name=ancient/><ref name=BungieCast>{{cite web|url=http://download.microsoft.com/download/d/8/5/d85ce76f-0cb2-41df-aaae-a8c96790332b/Bungie_Podcast_121207.mp3 |title=Podcast Ep. 51: With Martin O'Donnell |access-date=June 21, 2008 |author1=O'Connor, Frank |author2=O'Donnell, Martin |author3=Smith, Luke |author4=Jarrard, Brian |date=December 12, 2007 |publisherwebsite=[[Bungie.net]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529171317/http://download.microsoft.com/download/d/8/5/d85ce76f-0cb2-41df-aaae-a8c96790332b/Bungie_Podcast_121207.mp3 |archive-date=May 29, 2008 }}</ref> O'Donnell wasstated nervousthat abouthe approached the project, saying he approached it, "with fear and trepidation".<ref name=ancient/> O'Donnelland statedthat his main influences were music he liked—"a little [[Samuel Barber]] meets [[Giorgio Moroder]]".<ref name=ancient/> Bungie's Directordirector of cinematics, [[Joseph Staten]] told O'Donnell, that "the music should give a feeling of importance, weight, and sense of the 'ancient' to the visuals of ''Halo''".<ref name=ancient/>

O'Donnell's first piece of music, "Halo", which would become "the signature theme for ''Halo''", was written and recorded in three days.<ref name=ancient/> O'Donnell convinced [[Alex Seropian]] to allow him to produce an original piece of music for the game's 1999 Macworld Conference & Expo demonstration. He drew inspiration for the theme from [[The Beatles]]' "[[Yesterday (song)|Yesterday]]".<ref>{{cite web|author=Staff|date=March 24, 2016|url=http://www.ign.com/videos/2016/03/24/ign-unfiltered-interview-halo-and-destiny-composer-marty-odonnell|title=IGN Unfiltered Interview: Halo and Destiny Composer Marty O'Donnell |workwebsite=[[IGN]]|time=30'00"—35'00"|access-date=March 25, 2016}}</ref> O'Donnell recruited Salvatori and three other colleagues with whom he had recorded jingles with—Robertjingles—Robert Bowker, Jeffrey Morrow, and Rob Trow—to produce the "chanting monks" that open the piece. Originally, he had intended the [[Qawwali]] accents to be sung by one of the professionals, but after singing an example of what he wanted, the others suggested using O'Donnell's own rendition instead.<ref name=ancient/> The theme premiered at the [[Macworld Conference & Expo#1999|1999 Macworld Conference & Expo]].<ref name=ancient/>

|description = The piece used for the MacWorldMacworld Expo 1999 ''Halo'' announcement.

The remaining themes were written, recorded, and produced throughout 2001.<ref name=ancient/> The music was written with a variety of equipment, including, "keyboards, synths, and samplers as well as digital recording equipment were controlled by computers".<ref name=ancient/> In addition, [[MIDI]] devices such as the Roland XV-5080 and [[E-mu Proteus|EM-U Proteus 2000]] were most prominently used to create the game's soundtrack. Live instrumentations, fromby members of the [[Chicago Symphony]] and Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra, were added where needed.<ref name=ancient/><ref name=TotalAudio>{{cite web|first1=Martin|last1=O'Donnell|author-link1=Martin O'Donnell|last2=Wu|first2=Louis|year=1999|url=http://nikon.bungie.org/music.html|title=TotalAudio Questions and Answers|workwebsite=[[Halo.Bungie.Org]]|access-date=April 13, 2008}}</ref> The soundtrack features a wide range of sounds, O'Donnell described it as, "[[Gregorian chant]], string orchestra, percussion and just a bit of a 'Qawwali voice'".<ref name=ancient/> Working closely with level designers, O'Donnell divided the music "into chunks". Based on these "chunks", "[''Halo''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s]which audiocould enginebe couldplayed playback dynamically by [the music]audio backengine dynamically baseddepending on the player's actions".<ref name=ancient/> For the soundtrack release, O'Donnell rearranged the music featured in the game in order to make listening to the soundtrack "more enjoyable".<ref name=album/>

Bungie had previously released soundtracks for their games due to fan request, but Microsoft was hesitant to commit to producing a soundtrack for ''Halo''; at the time most video games did not get a commercial soundtrack release. The publisher finally relented after pressure from O'Donnell and the outside solicitation of musician [[Nile Rodgers]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Reese, Emily|date=September 6, 2011|url=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/09/06/top-score-martin-odonnell-halo-s2e1/|title=Top Score Launches Season 2 with Halo Composer Martin O'Donnell|publisherwebsite=Minnesota Public Radio|access-date=September 7, 2011}}</ref>

Reception of the soundtrack was generally positive from critics. [[IGN]] praised the soundtrack for its wide use of instruments stating,: "Where other videogame scores tend to miss their mark when combining electronic and organic elements, O'Donnell and Salvatori seem to have found a rather stable balance between the two divergent sounds." Adding,They overall,described the soundtrack isas "one of the better videogame oriented musical experiences out there" and noted that playing the game is not required to find enjoyment withinenjoy the score.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/09/25/halo-original-soundtrack|title= Halo Original Soundtrack|access-date=May 30, 2008 |author= Spence D.|date= September 24, 2007|publisherwebsite=[[IGN]]}}</ref>

Reviewing for Monsters At Play, Michael Johnson called the soundtrack "66 minutes of orchestral goodness," citing the wide range of music covered as a strong point.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://games.monstersatplay.com/review/soundtrack/halo.php|title= Halo Original Soundtrack|access-date= May 30, 2008|author= Michael Johnson|publisherwebsite= Monsters at Play|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080703170334/http://games.monstersatplay.com/review/soundtrack/halo.php|archive-date= July 3, 2008|df= mdy-all}}</ref> Nuketown gaverated the soundtrack 9 out of 10, stating,describing "theit soundtrack isas "a welcome and invigorating reminder of good times had blasting unstoppable alien hordes".<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.nuketown.com/node/489|title= Halo: The Soundtrack|access-date= May 30, 2008|author= Kenneth Newquist|date= September 9, 2004|publisherwebsite= Nuketown|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080507075543/http://www.nuketown.com/node/489|archive-date= May 7, 2008|df= mdy-all}}</ref> The release went on to sell over 40,000 copies.<ref>Traiman,{{cite news|last=Traiman|first=Steve (|date=November 3, 2004) [|url=http://www.chron.com/entertainment/music/article/Halo-2-soundtrack-boasts-Incubus-Hoobastank-1979351.php|title= 'Halo 2' soundtrack boasts Incubus, Hoobastank].|work= [[Houston Chronicle]]. Retrieved 2012-02-29.}}</ref>

#| "Thelength3 Gun Pointed at the Head of the Universe" –= 21:2629

#| "Underlength4 Cover of Night" – = 3:4100

#| "Rocklength7 Anthem for Saving the World" – = 1:1757