 Press Reviews
- ... as Iro in The Return of Ulysses by Claudio Monteverdi
with English National Opera at the Young Vic, London - March/April 2011
"Among the men ... the prize for supporting singing-actor is split between Nigel Robson ... and Brian Galliford, whose parasitical Iro demonstrated that there isn't much he doesn't know about communicating with an audience."
Russ McDonald, Opera, May 2011
"Brian Galliford's gluttonous Iro was sculpted with a skillful tonal blend of the comic-grotesque and the menacing."
George Hall, Opera News, June 2011
"... many ... memorable characterisations, not least Brian Galliford's gross, gluttonous Iro"
Richard Morrison, The Times, 25.03.11
"Brian Galliford delivers a virtuoso turn as the grotesque Iro"
Michael Church, Independent Blogs, 28.03.11
Mr. Galliford made an expert transition from repulsive to pitiful."
Miranda Jackson, Opera Britannia, 24.03.11
"Brian Galliford (Iro) delivered a hilarious but also deeply moving portrayal of the failed socialite"
Agnes Kory, musicalcriticism.com, 28.03.11
"there's a welcome, too, for the return of Brian Galliford to his homeland after a career largely spent on the opera stages of Europe. He treads a fine line between musicality and grotesquery as Iro"
Mark Valencia, classicalsource.com, 24.03.11
"Nigel Robson, as the shepherd Eumete, presents a touching portrayal of a loyal servant. And, his interaction with Brian Galliford's gluttonous, parasitic Iro is superb. Living off the wealth of the suitors, Iro appears at several points in Il ritorno as a figure of fun: he is mocked by Eumete in Act I (but not without himself making some pointed comments on the pastoral life) and is thrashed by Ulisse in Act II. However, his scene at the beginning of Act II takes on a different edge, and Galliford's voice surpasses the comic to take on a tragic tone as Iro veers towards madness, providing a significant focus for the opera as a whole."
Claire Seymour - operatoday.com - 24.03.11
"Iro, the social parasite portrayed by Brian Galliford, was creepy and intense - but his last aria was very powerful."
Little Me, operaandme.com, 02.04.11
- ... as Don Jerome in Betrothal in a Monastery/Les Fiançailles au Couvent by Serge Prokofiev
with the Théâtre du Capitole, Toulouse & Opéra Comique, Paris - January/February 2011
"The cast was dominated by British tenor Brian Galliford, making his French debut in the role of Don Jerome. This was a triumph of stage presence and bumptious personality over purely vocal resources."
Francis Carlin, Opera Now, Summer 2011
"At the center of the fun was the penetrating tenor of Brian Galliford as an engaging mad-professor-style Don Jérôme ..." (click here for full review)
Stephen J. Mudge, Opera News, 03.02.11
"Another fantastic element in this show were the singers. The quality of the whole cast was very high and homogeneous. Brian Galliford is returning to his top form after years of struggling with cancer he was diagnosed back in 2006. How tremendously inspiring it is to see him surmount the psycho-physical drama of his life and to come back this strong and sing with such a formidable intensity -- maybe even better than he did before the sad news! If you can read French, please read this interview he gave during the run of this show in Toulouse. His singing was strong, convincing, and he has that inner talent for comedy. Thank you Brian and may you sing for us for many-many years to come!"
Opera Cake, 03.02.11
"the casting is perfect ... Brian Galliford, a true comic."
C.M., Le Figaro, 01.02.11
"Brian Galliford's Don Jerome is succulent. What dynamic, what spirit!!"
Luc Décygnes, Le Canard enchaîné, 02.02.11
"There were many laughs: the scene in which Don Jerome conducts the band is hilarious! ... Brian Galliford's very British humour (a nutty and very well sung Don Jerome) ..."
Marcel Quillévéré, Forum Opera, 01.02.11
"As Don Jerome, Brian Galliford stuns us with the ease of his spoken and sung Russian, by the witty elegance whether squealing or wailing, thunderous or meowing. A theatrical pleasure ..."
Chantal Cazaux, A S Opéra, 31.01.11
"Don Jerome (the excellent Brian Galliford) seems straight out of Feydeaus's Dindon... the "oldies" are priceless ... Galliford, hilarious right down to his private concert (accompanied by a trio of zany musicians)."
Jean-Charles Hoffelé, Le Journal - Concertclassic.com, 31.01.11
"All are impeccable in their roles with a special mention for the very British Brian Galliford who, apart from an impeccable diction in the service of a well placed buffo tenor timbre, portrays a flabbergasted and totally hilarious Don Jerome."
Caroline Alexander, Webthea, 01.02.11
"Plus impressionnant encore, le ténor anglais Brian Galliford est un Don Jérôme forcément très british, pince-sans-rire et désopilant."
Nicole Duault, altamusica.com, 01.02.11
"Brian Galliford: simply amazing, totally in charge, running the show, conducting the little on-stage trio (what a clarinettist!) and playing the glockenspiel himself at the end ... I wonder if there'll be a DVD of this? It would be scandalous not to have a permanent record of Galliford's masterly contribution alone, and then there's all the rest..."
NPW-Paris - private blog, 05.02.11
"On stage, a first choice cast, starting with Brian Galliford's Don Jerome, a character tenor with an ideal declamation and an outstanding comedian."
Robert Pénavayre, classictoulouse.com, 11.01.11
"Among the ranks of performers, I only have one thing to say: brilliant! Brian Galliford delivered us a masterly Don Jerome."
'Tambour Major'
"with Brian Galliford's unbelievable Jerome, resonant and devilish"
Bertrand Bolognesi, Anaclase.com
"First of all, the tenor BG thus creates a DJ proud in his burlesque zanyness, whose outrageous, yet measured attitudes, his discreetly dry gestures, his theatrical playing, evoke irresistibly the best of silent cinema - a characterisation which doesn't prevent him from depicting with much finesse the humanity and tenderness which is demanded by this role of a father flummoxed by worries over his position in society. And no-one can reproach this survivor from throat cancer for his legitimate carefulness which leads him to save his voice for the moments when strength of tone is really necessary, without ever neglecting the difficulties posed for him by the composer!"
Jacques-Olivier Badla, Le Clou dans la Planche, 16.01.11
"The wit and dramatic intelligence was irresistible, the British tenor Brian Galliford embodies a Don Jerome who in his clumsiness and big belly seems straight out of a Daumier caricature."
Philippe Venturini, Les Echos, 13.01.11
- ... as Herodes in Salome by Richard Strauss
with the Vorarlberger Landestheater Bregenz - February 2006
"To the very extremes of his fingertips portrayed Brian Galliford with an intense dramatic as well as vocal presence the role of the dangerously lascivious Herodes"
Katharina von Glasenapp, Schwäbische Zeitung, 13.02.06
"... Brian Galliford delivered the embodiment of viscid lust as well as irresponsible power"
Christa Dietrich, Vorarlberger Nachrichten, 13.02.06
- ... as Piet the Pot in Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre
in concert with the ASKO & Schönberg Ensembles, Concertgebouw Amsterdam - October 2004
"Despite it being a concert performance tenor Brian Galliford acted wonderfully over the top as Piet the Pot, precisely as required in this absurdist story about a failed Apocalypse."
Jochem Valkenburg, NRC Handelsblad, 6.10.04
- ... for the role of The Rector in Britten's Peter Grimes
with the Royal Opera Covent Garden - July 2004
"There were strong newcomers, too, in ... Brian Galliford's Revd Horace Adams"
Erica Jeal, Opera Magazine, 09.04
- ... for the role of Piet vom Faß in Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre
with the Komische Oper, Berlin - June/July 2003
"With the comic and vocally outstanding Brian Galliford in the smashing role of the constantly drunk and vivacious Piet vom Faß turned out as a witty corpse robber, Kosky had the laughs on his side from the very beginning."
Eckart Schwinger, Opernwelt, August 2003
"the magnificent spieltenor Brian Galliford"
Jörg Königsdorf, Der Tagesspiegel, 24.06.03
"... Brian Galliford and Akie Amou [Venus/Gepopo] contribute to the standard of the performance with their vocal precision, meeting the virtuosic demands of the score."
Peter Uehling, Berliner Zeitung, 24.06.03
"Perfect casting is for example Brian Galliford's unscrupulous Piet vom Fass, making his debut here"
Klaus Klingbeil, Dresdener Neueste Nachrichten, 24.06.03
"the juicy character tenor: Brian Galliford"
Olaf Wilhelmer, Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung, 24.06.03
"Outstanding: Brian Galliford. Top class!"
BZ, 24.06.03
"To single out one person from the singing performances, is in principle not fair, but as first among equals we have pulled out BG in the role of Piet vom Fass. His simply acrobatic vocal control with breakless transitions from baritonal depths to falsetto heights competes with a comedy talent, that probably knows no equal in Berlin."
Friedemann Kluge, Neues Deutschland, 25.06.03
"Barrie Kosky ... had an ensemble of magnificent singing actors at his disposal, above all BG in the role of the wine taster and grave digger Piet vom Faß, who is called up as servant to Nekrotzar - akin to Sancho Pansa. Galliford is a magnificent comic, a desperately funny actor, who right at the outset with laughter bordering on madness undresses a corpse, a sort of wise fool, who does not for one moment take his new Lord really seriously."
"In the first instant the terrific vocal achievements of all singers yesterday must be admired. How BG constantly switches between chest voice and falsetto, combined with an innumerable variety of laughs, shouts and muc more aside ... deserves admiration."
Andreas GÖbel, RBB Radio 3, 23.06.03
- ... for the role of Piet vom Faß in Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre
with the Flemish Opera - November/December 2000
"Piet the Pot ... was splendidly sung by British tenor Brian Galliford, who negotiated the very high
tessitura with ease."
Elizabeth Forbes - Opera Now, March/April 2001
"A number of singers from the Reisopera production also took part in Antwerp ... with above all the
sublime Brian Galliford as Piet vom Faß."
Peter van der Lint - Trouw, 11/11
"As the music starts a pack of dogs charge through the audience and from inside a rubbish bin the
drunken singing of Piet vom Faß, professional wine taster; a brilliant role, just perfect for Brian
Galliford."
Jeanette Vergouwen - De Stem, 9/11
"... Brian Galliford is an irresistibly comical Piet van Faß ..."
Aad van der Ven - Haagsche/Goudsche Courant, 13/11
"Brian Galliford (Piet vom Faß) came over the strongest ..."
Maarten Beirens - De Standaard, 9/11
"... the often falsetto singing Falstaff blend of Piet vom Faß (excellent Brian Galliford) ..."
Stefan Keim - Die Welt, 16/11
"In the generally very good cast the British tenor Brian Galliford, the German Caroline Stein and our Mireille Capelle were most notable."
Mirek Cerny - Nieuwsblad de Gentenar, 9/11
"The cast is excellent, with a special mention ... for the verve of Brian Galliford's Piet ..."
Nicolas Blanmont - Libre Belgique, 10/11
- ... for Beethoven 9th Symphony in Eton - July 2000
"... tenor Brian Galliford thrilled the audience with his delivery of the alla marcia section ..."
George Allan - Middlesex Chronicle
- ... for the role of Bob Boles in Britten's Peter Grimes
with the Dutch Nationale Reisopera - April/May 2000
"... Brian Galliford (Bob Boles), Richard Suart (Swallow), Marcel Boone (Ned Keene) and
Henk Smit (Balstrode) all gave performances worthy of any stage."
Matthew Peacock - Opera Now, July/August 2000
"... Amongst the many supporting roles, the tenor Brian Galliford was especially remarkable as Bob Boles."
Willem Bruls - Opern Welt, July 2000
In the Opern Welt Yearbook for 2000, Willem Bruls nominated Brian Galliford as noteworthy "Nachwuchskünstler" (up-and-coming artist) for his portrayal of Bob Boles in this production.
- ... for the role of Monostatos in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte
with the Dutch Nationale Reisopera - August/September 1999
"... Galliford acts excellently ... is an old hand who gratefully takes advantage of all the possibilities offered by the director."
Roeland Hazendonk - Telegraaf, August 1999
"... the sublime acting and singing Brian Galliford as Monostatos ..."
Doron Nagan - Algemeen Dagblad, August 1999
- ... for the role of Piet vom Faß in Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre with the Dutch Nationale Reisopera - May 1998
"Brian Galliford climbs further and further into the role and delivers a splendid performance both as singer and as actor."
Bernd Feuchtner - Opern Welt, July 1998
"... Brian Galliford sings an excellent Piet vom Faß."
Roeland Hazendonk - Telegraaf, May 1998
"... the soloists are all of a high quality. Brian Galliford is as Piet vom Faß a charming and exceedingly comical Pierrot."
Henk Krol - GayKrant, May 1998
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