"Film director Martone has hauled the opera into present and seemingly relocated it from Windsor to Berlin itself. Volle's seedy Falstaff, played without the usual padding, is an ageing hippy, hanging out in a bar in one of the city's graffitied courtyards ... Despite the staging's inconsistencies, there's much to enjoy, in particular Volle's central performance, superbly acted and sung, though some might want a bit more generosity in the tone ... Barcellona sounds terrific ... while Kammerloher makes an excellent, spirited Meg ... In the pit ... Barenboim is magisterial, occasionally adopting slow tempos in ways that recall Karajan ... Gracious, elegant, witty and beautiful, and the playting is simply faultless. It's worth hearing, though you may not always like what you see".