Hannibal Records

Hannibal Records was a British record label and one of the first to work with the World music genre.

Hannibal was started by Joe Boyd in 1980. Boyd had produced records by artists such as Nick Drake, The Incredible String Band and Fairport Convention and released recordings by these artists as well as others such as Trio Bulgarka on his new label.

Around this time folk music from around the world was being released by different labels but was so varied it did not fit into a particular genre. Boyd and a collection of other music industry leaders decided to coin the term world music in order to give this music a name for marketing purposes. Hannibal began releasing records under the world music banner.

In the early 1990s, Hannibal was purchased by independent label Rykodisc. Joe Boyd continued managing the label until the late 1990s when Rykodisc was purchased by Palm Pictures. After Boyd's departure from Hannibal the label lay dormant.

In 1998, Andrew Childs took over the running of Hannibal. A new line up of artists was introduced including Robert Wyatt, Phil Manzanera and Brian Eno and the label began to reissue recordings from the All Saints label. As well as these established artists Hannibal began to sign new artists such as folk rock band The Eighteenth Day of May.

Hannibal (1959 film)

Hannibal (known as Annibale in its native Italy) is a 1959 historical film based on the life of Hannibal, starring Victor Mature in the title role.

Plot

The film begins with the Roman Senate hearing about Hannibal (Victor Mature) crossing the Alps with his men and many elephants. The crossing is difficult, with many men dying en route, but they manage to pass through, in part because Hannibal forms an allegiance with a local chieftain.

Hannibal's troops capture Sylvia, daughter of Roman senator Fabius Maximus, and she and Hannibal fall in love. Some of Hannibal's troops oppose the match and an unsuccessful attempt is made on Sylvia's life. Hannibal also loses an eye during battle.

Despite the warnings of Fabius who suggests avoiding battle and waging a campaign of exhaustion, the decision is made to fight Hannibal out in the open. The consequence is a massive Roman defeat. Battle of Cannae.

Fabius is recalled to lead the Roman Army and the momentum of Hannibal's campaign begins to wane. His wife and child arrive from Carthage. Sylvia returns to Rome and commits suicide. A postscript informs us that Hannibal fought on for many more years in other lands.

Hannibal (film)

Hannibal is a 2001 American crime thriller film directed by Ridley Scott, adapted from the novel of the same name by Thomas Harris. It is the sequel to the 1991 Academy Award-winning film The Silence of the Lambs in which Anthony Hopkins returns to his role as the iconic serial killer, Hannibal Lecter. Julianne Moore co-stars, in the role first held by Jodie Foster, as the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation Agent Clarice Starling.

The film had a difficult and occasionally troubling pre-production history. When the source material was published in 1999, The Silence of the Lambs director Jonathan Demme, screenwriter Ted Tally, and actress Jodie Foster all declined to be involved in its film adaptation. Ridley Scott became attached as director after the success of his film Gladiator (2000), and eventually signed onto the project after reading the script pitched by Dino DeLaurentiis, who produced Manhunter (1986), based on the 1981 Harris novel Red Dragon. After the departure of star Jodie Foster and screenwriter Ted Tally, Julianne Moore took on Foster's role while David Mamet and Steven Zaillian wrote the screenplay.

The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)

The Phantom of the Opera is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart with additions from Richard Stilgoe. Lloyd Webber and Stilgoe also wrote the musical's book together. Based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux, its central plot revolves around a beautiful soprano, Christine Daaé, who becomes the obsession of a mysterious, disfigured musical genius.

The musical opened in London's West End in 1986, and on Broadway in 1988. It won the 1986 Olivier Award and the 1988 Tony Award for Best Musical, and Michael Crawford (in the title role) won the Olivier and Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Musical. It is the longest running show in Broadway history by a wide margin, and celebrated its 10,000th Broadway performance on 11 February 2012, the first production ever to do so. It is the second longest-running West End musical, after Les Misérables, and the third longest-running West End show overall, after The Mousetrap.