Halo 2 soundtrack
Article
May 25, 2022
The Halo 2 soundtrack (in English Halo 2 Original Soundtrack) constitutes the musical accompaniment for the video game of 2004 entitled Halo 2. The set of songs was released in two separate volumes, released almost two years apart. on the other. Volume 1, released simultaneously with the release of Halo 2 on November 9, 2004, contains arranged instrumental pieces written by Martin O'Donnell and his main collaborator, Michael Salvatori, as well as songs "inspired" by musical groups such as the Incubus, the Hoobastanks and the Breaking Benjamin. Volume 2 was released on April 25, 2006 and contains all the music of the game arranged in various suites. O'Donnell, who had previously composed the music for Bungie games such as Myth and Halo: Combat Evolved, tried to give greater depth to the melodies of Halo also based on the previous chapter, introducing new sounds and influences in the musical choices made. The rhythms are varied and are based on the kind of sequence that the player is experiencing during the campaign, which is why the composers preferred, so to speak, to give a dynamic approach to the songs that would have been heard by the user. The music was recorded to an orchestra of fifty players at Studio X in Seattle, Washington. To celebrate the release, both Microsoft, owner of the rights to the sci-fi saga, and Sumthing Else Music Works, the record label of the soundtrack, planned an intense advertising campaign. Since its release, the Halo 2 soundtrack has received positive reviews. Critics were divided on the merits recognized at the head of Volume 1, with some publications appreciating the bonus content represented by the songs played by the bands, while other reviews felt that the first volume lacked a real cohesion. On the contrary, there was greater unanimity of opinions with respect to Volume 2, defined as the "real" soundtrack of Halo 2. Analyzing the impact on the market, both soundtracks proved to be a success in terms of sales, with over 100,000 copies. purchased by fans of the saga. The fortune gained from soundtracks was pointed to as a sign of the growing relevance of video game music to the entertainment industry. The work in question has since been reproduced on various concert tours, including PLAY! A Video Game Symphony and Video Games Live.