I’d be certainly  be interested in seeing period stagings occasionally, even including The Dutchman (although HIP Wagner hasn’t really taken off has it?).  As a general rule though, given a choice between “…the baroque palette of stage-gesture …, dance and costume” or Danielle de Niese in a bikini, I know what I'll prefer!  Given that Baroque operas were, authentically, a background to the serious business of eating, drinking, chatting, seducing and fighting, perhaps we shouldn’t expect them to hold our complete attention for three and a half hours?  I’m with David McVicar in that these works need a bit of help to make them go.