Overture/Hannibal Lyrics – Phantom of the Opera, The
Overture/Hannibal Lyrics
CARLOTTA:
This trophy from our saviours, from our saviours from the enslaving force of Rome!
GIRL'S CHORUS:
With feasting and dancing and song, tonight in celebration,
We greet the victorious throng, returned to bring salvation!
MEN'S CHORUS:
The trumpets of Carthage resound! Hear, Romans, now and tremble!
Hark to our step on the ground!
ALL:
Hear the drums, Hannibal comes!
PIANGI:
Sad to return to find the land we love threatened once more by Roma's far-reaching grasp
REYER:
Gentlemen, gentlemen...
LEFEVRE:
Rehearsals, as you see, are under way, for a new production of Chalumeau's "Hannibal".
REYER:
Monsieur Lefevre, I am rehearsing.
LEFEVRE:
Monsieur Reyer, Madame Giry, ladies and gentlemen,
Please if I could have your attention, thank you.
As you know, for some weeks there have been rumours of my imminent retirement.
I can now tell you that these were all true and it is my pleasure to introduce you to the two gentlemen
Who now own the Opera Populaire, Monsieur Richard Firmin and Monsieur Gilles Andre.
FIRMIN:
And we are deeply honoured to introduce our new patron, the Vicomte de Changy
RAOUL:
My parents and I are honoured to support all the arts especially the world renowned Opera Populaire
LEFEVRE:
Vicomte, Gentlemen, Signora Carlotta Giudicelli, our leading soprano for five seasons now.
And Signor Ubaldo Piangi.
RAOUL:
An honour, Signor. I believe I'm keeping you from your rehearsal.
I will be here this evening to share your great triumph. My apologies, monsieur.
REYER:
Thank you, Monsieur Le Vicomte. Once more if you please, signor.
CARLOTTA:
He loves me!
GIRY:
We take a particular pride here in the excellence of our ballets, monsieur
FIRMIN:
I see why, especially that little blonde angel.
GIRY:
My daughter, Meg Giry.
FIRMIN:
And that exceptional beauty? No relation, I trust.
GIRY:
Christine Daaé, promising talent, Monsieur Firmin, very promising.
FIRMIN:
Daaé, you say? No relation to the famous Swedish violinist?
GIRY:
His only child, orphan at 7, when she came to live and train in the ballet dormitory.
FIRMIN:
An orphan, you say!
CHORUS:
Bid welcome to Hannibal's guests, the elephants of Carthage!
As guides on our conquering quests, Dido sends Hannibal's friends!
CHORUS WITH CARLOTTA AND PIANGI:
The trumpeting elephants sound, hear, Romans, now and tremble!
Hark to their step on the ground, hear the drums! Hannibal comes!
ANDRE:
Mosieur Reyer, isn't there a rather marvelous aria for Elissa in Act Three of "Hannibal"?
Perhaps if Signora...
CARLOTTA:
Yes...Yes...Monsieur Reyer?
REYER:
If my diva commands.
CARLOTTA:
Yes I do.
This trophy from our saviours, from our saviours from the enslaving force of Rome!
GIRL'S CHORUS:
With feasting and dancing and song, tonight in celebration,
We greet the victorious throng, returned to bring salvation!
MEN'S CHORUS:
The trumpets of Carthage resound! Hear, Romans, now and tremble!
Hark to our step on the ground!
ALL:
Hear the drums, Hannibal comes!
PIANGI:
Sad to return to find the land we love threatened once more by Roma's far-reaching grasp
REYER:
Gentlemen, gentlemen...
LEFEVRE:
Rehearsals, as you see, are under way, for a new production of Chalumeau's "Hannibal".
REYER:
Monsieur Lefevre, I am rehearsing.
LEFEVRE:
Monsieur Reyer, Madame Giry, ladies and gentlemen,
Please if I could have your attention, thank you.
As you know, for some weeks there have been rumours of my imminent retirement.
I can now tell you that these were all true and it is my pleasure to introduce you to the two gentlemen
Who now own the Opera Populaire, Monsieur Richard Firmin and Monsieur Gilles Andre.
FIRMIN:
And we are deeply honoured to introduce our new patron, the Vicomte de Changy
RAOUL:
My parents and I are honoured to support all the arts especially the world renowned Opera Populaire
LEFEVRE:
Vicomte, Gentlemen, Signora Carlotta Giudicelli, our leading soprano for five seasons now.
And Signor Ubaldo Piangi.
RAOUL:
An honour, Signor. I believe I'm keeping you from your rehearsal.
I will be here this evening to share your great triumph. My apologies, monsieur.
REYER:
Thank you, Monsieur Le Vicomte. Once more if you please, signor.
CARLOTTA:
He loves me!
GIRY:
We take a particular pride here in the excellence of our ballets, monsieur
FIRMIN:
I see why, especially that little blonde angel.
GIRY:
My daughter, Meg Giry.
FIRMIN:
And that exceptional beauty? No relation, I trust.
GIRY:
Christine Daaé, promising talent, Monsieur Firmin, very promising.
FIRMIN:
Daaé, you say? No relation to the famous Swedish violinist?
GIRY:
His only child, orphan at 7, when she came to live and train in the ballet dormitory.
FIRMIN:
An orphan, you say!
CHORUS:
Bid welcome to Hannibal's guests, the elephants of Carthage!
As guides on our conquering quests, Dido sends Hannibal's friends!
CHORUS WITH CARLOTTA AND PIANGI:
The trumpeting elephants sound, hear, Romans, now and tremble!
Hark to their step on the ground, hear the drums! Hannibal comes!
ANDRE:
Mosieur Reyer, isn't there a rather marvelous aria for Elissa in Act Three of "Hannibal"?
Perhaps if Signora...
CARLOTTA:
Yes...Yes...Monsieur Reyer?
REYER:
If my diva commands.
CARLOTTA:
Yes I do.
Annotations
What we’re seeing onstage.
During the rehearsal scene for the fictional grand opera Hannibal, Carlotta—cast as Elissa, mythical queen of Carthage—holds aloft the severed head of her “brother-in-law,” Hasdrubal, while delivering a bravura aria. In actual history the real Hasdrubal, Hannibal’s brother, died on Italian soil after the Battle of the Metaurus (207 BCE), so the libretto’s Carthaginian beheading is pure operatic fantasy.
The lovers at work.
Hannibal himself is sung by Ubaldo Piangi, Carlotta’s off-stage partner. Once the chorus finishes, Piangi strides in for his entrance but flounders through the rehearsal—misplacing cues, forgetting lyrics, and mangling his high notes—foreshadowing the comic chaos that will soon erupt when the Phantom intervenes.
Music video
Phantom of the Opera, The Lyrics: Song List
- Act 1
- Prologue
- Overture/Hannibal
- Think of Me
- Angel of Music
- Little Lotte/The Mirror
- The Phantom of the Opera
- Music of the Night
- Magical Lasso
- I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt It
- Notes/Prima Donna
- Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh/Il Muto
- Why Have You Brought Me Here / Raoul I've Been There
- All I Ask of You
- All I Ask of You (Reprise)
- Act 2
- Entr'Acte: Act Two / Six Months Later
- Masquerade / Why So Silent?
- Madame Giry's Tale / The Fairground
- Journey to the Cemetery
- Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
- Wandering Child
- The Swordfight
- We Hall All Been Blind
- A Rehearsal for Don Juan Triumphant
- Point of No Return / Chandelier Crash
- Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer
- Learn to Be Lonely