Editing Halo: Original Soundtrack

{{Title|''Halo: Original Soundtrack''}}
{{Era|RW}}
{{Soundtrack infobox
|image=[[File:HaloSoundtrackCover.jpg|300px]]
|release=[[2002|June 11, 2002]]
|label=Sumthing Else Musicworks
|producer=Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori
|composer=Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori
|performance=Martin O'Donnell, Michael Salvatori, Harry Hmura, Arnold Roth, Peter Labella, Everett Zlatoff-Mirsky, Elliott Golub, Nisanne Howell, Marylou Johnston, Kevin Case, Barbara Haffner, Larry Glazier, Judy Stone, Robert Bowker, Jeffrey Morrow, and Rob Trow
|length=65:08
}}
{{Quote|Themes, moods and even the duration of these pieces will change and adapt with each player's ''Halo'' experience. I took the liberty of remixing and rearranging all the music in order to make listening to the soundtrack more enjoyable.|Martin O'Donnell<ref>''Halo: Original Soundtrack'' - CD booklet</ref>}}

'''''Halo: Original Soundtrack''''' is the soundtrack for the video game ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''. Composed by [[Martin O'Donnell]] and [[Michael Salvatori]], it was released on June 11, [[2002]]. The soundtrack contains most of the music from ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', with some pieces remixed into suites. The soundtrack features a wide range of musical styles including chanting, string orchestra, and percussion. 

A special edition of the soundtrack was released on October 28, [[2003]], featuring a trailer, demo movie, and music for ''[[Halo 2]]''.

==Overview==
===Composition===
The composition of the soundtrack for ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' began with the ''[[Halo Theme]]'' in July of [[1999]]. The ''Halo Theme'' was composed to invoke feelings of "ancient, epic, and mysterious", and made its debut in the [[Halo announcement trailer|''Halo'' MacWorld premiere demo]].{{Ref/YouTube|Id=aias|oPK81NG5ncE|Academy of Interactive Arts & Science|Halo and Destiny Composer, Marty O'Donnell <nowiki>|</nowiki> The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook}}{{Ref/Film|Id=RTL|[[Remaking the Legend]]}}

O'Donnell and Salvatori then completed the rest of the soundtrack over the course of [[2001]]. Different aspects of the ''Halo Theme'', including the Gregorian chant and string melody, were adapted into other musical pieces in the game.{{Ref/YouTube|Id=digipen|UKG0d3jYe9Q|Martin O'Donnell|Composing Music for Halo, Destiny, and Golem}} The composers worked closely with the level designers to understand where the different points of tension and release would come into play within each level. The music was cut and edited into chunks that the game audio engine played dynamically based on the player's actions. The music used [[Wikipedia:MIDI|MIDI]] recordings, featuring keyboards, synths, and samplers as well as digital recording equipment controlled by computers. The composers added live instrumental performances to those recordings where needed. Certain tracks only adapted the live performance.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://web.archive.org/web/20070301150741/http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo/themakers3.htm|Site=Xbox.com|Page=Halo: Combat Evolved - Just the Right Sense of "Ancient"}}

===Release===
''Halo: Original Soundtrack'' was released in 2002, after record producer [[wikipedia:Nile Rodgers|Nile Rodgers]] approached O'Donnell and Bungie to publish video game soundtrack under 	
Sumthing Else Musicworks.{{Ref/Reuse|RTL}} Following the announcement of ''Halo 2'', a special edition was released in October, [[2003]].

While not displayed on the track listing, the soundtrack contains the track ''[[Siege of Madrigal]]'' from [[Bungie]]'s previous game, ''[[wikipedia:Myth The Fallen Lords|Myth: The Fallen Lords]]''. It plays following a period of silence near the end of the final track.

One piece of music, heard on the level ''[[Assault on the Control Room]]'', does not appear on the soundtrack. Retroactively titled ''[[Lost Muse]]'' by O'Donnell, it was made available on [[Bungie.net]] until the site went offline in 2021.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/projects/halo/asset_thumb_viewer.aspx?at=55&cc=25|Site=Bungie.net|Page=Lost Muse}}

Various pieces of music from the soundtrack would be arranged and orchestrated for ''Halo 2'' and ''[[Halo 3]]''. Called “emotional equity” by O’Donnell, players would feel a sense of familiarity when themes are being repurposed, remixed, and reused throughout the trilogy.{{Ref/YouTube|0zG18XfsnvI|The Act Man|A LEGENDARY Interview with Martin O’Donnell (Composer From Bungie, Halo, Destiny)}}

==Track listing==
#[[Opening Suite]] – 3:33
#[[Truth and Reconciliation Suite]] – 8:25
#[[Brothers in Arms]] – 1:29
#[[Enough Dead Heroes]] – 3:00
#[[Perilous Journey]] – 2:26
#[[A Walk in the Woods]] – 1:52
#[[Ambient Wonder]] – 1:56
#[[The Gun Pointed at the Head of the Universe]] – 2:26
#[[Trace Amounts]] – 1:51
#[[Under Cover of Night]] – 3:41
#[[What Once was Lost]] – 1:39
#[[Lament for Pvt. Jenkins]] – 1:13
#[[Devils... Monsters...]] – 1:29
#[[Covenant Dance]] – 1:56
#[[Alien Corridors]] – 1:47
#[[Rock Anthem for Saving the World]] – 1:17
#[[The Maw (music)|The Maw]] – 1:05
#[[Drumrun]] – 1:00
#[[On a Pale Horse]] – 1:34
#[[Perchance to Dream]] – 0:59
#[[Library Suite]] – 6:46
#[[The Long Run]] – 2:10
#[[Suite Autumn]] – 4:21
#[[Shadows (music)|Shadows]] – 0:58
#[[Dust and Echoes]] – 2:48
#[[Halo Theme|Halo]] (and [[Siege of Madrigal]]) – 2:59

== Album credits ==
===2002 Release===
*Music written and composed by Martin O'Donnell - (ASCAP) and Michael Salvatori - (ASCAP)
*Musicians: Martin O'Donnell, Michael Salvatori, Harry Hmura, Arnold Roth, Peter Labella, Everett Zlatoff-Mirsky, Elliott Golub, Nisanne Howell, Marylou Johnston, Kevin Case, Barbara Haffner, Larry Glazier, Judy Stone
*Singers: Martin O'Donnell, Michael Salvatori, Robert Bowker, Jeffrey Morrow, Rob Trow

===2003 Special Edition===
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
*Brendan O'Brien – Producer
*Michael Ostin – Supervisor
*Mike Plotnikoff – Engineer
*Keith Armstrong – Mixing Assistant
*Eric Miller – Engineer
*Sandy Ting – Executive Producer
*Cameron Payne – Marketing
*[[Martin O'Donnell]] – Conductor, Producer, Orchestration
{{Col-2}}
*Dim e – Mixing Assistant
*Nile Rodgers – Vocals, Producer, Supervisor
*Chris Lord-Alge – Mixing
*Howard Benson – Producer
*Flea – Trumpet
*Richard Hilton – Engineer
*[[Steve Vai]] – Guitar
{{Col-end}}

==2003 Special Edition Bonus DVD Content==
An extra DVD was included with 2003 Special Edition. It contains four options in the menu:

===X02===
{{Main|Halo 2 announcement trailer}}
The X02 Trailer is the ''Halo 2'' announcement trailer released in September 2002. The 2 trailer depicts [[John-117]] jumping out of ''[[Cairo Station (station)|Cairo Station]]'' in his [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor|MJOLNIR]] [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark VI|Mark VI]] armor.

===E3 2003===
{{Main|Halo 2 E3 demo}}
The 2003 ''Halo 2'' E3 demo depicts an early build of ''Halo 2''. The demo shows the [[Covenant]] invasion of [[Mombasa]], [[Kenya]] on [[Earth]]. John-117, [[Cortana]], and [Orbital Drop Shock Trooper|ODSTs]] were deployed from [[Avery Johnson|Sergeant Major Avery Johnson]]'s Pelican to reinforce [[UNSC Marine Corps|UNSC Marines]] and [[Banks|Sergeant Banks]] in the city.

===''The Last Spartan'' Preview===
{{Main|The Last Spartan}}
There is a preview of ''[[The Last Spartan]]'', a track from the [[Halo 2: Original Soundtrack|''Halo 2'' soundtrack]]. It is accompanied by an image from the ''Halo 2'' announcement trailer, featuring John-117, holding a Battle Rifle, about to leave ''Cairo Station'' into space. 

===''Ghosts of Reach'' Preview===
{{Main|Ghosts of Reach}}
There is a preview of ''[[Ghosts of Reach]]'', a track from the ''Halo 2'' soundtrack. It is accompanied by an image from the ''Halo 2'' E3 demo, featuring John-117 [[dual wielding]] SMGs and looking up at the sky before [[Covenant drop pod]]s land near him.

==Trivia==
The back cover of the physical CD release for the soundtrack has the acronym "[[SABABWL]]" above the barcode, at the end of the copyright legal text. This acronym is a long-running [[Bungie]] easter egg, based on a quote by Marty O'Donnell referring to ''Halo: Combat Evolved''{{'}}s graphics technology.

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

{{Halo Music}}

[[Category:Halo music|Halo 1: Original Soundtrack]]
[[Category:Halo: Combat Evolved OST| ]]