21.   The period details, for instance, are exquisite, even if what goes on in these meticulously assembled settings is oddly unmemorable.

22.   The period details -- especially the peacock look for men, with long hair and flamboyant shirts -- is realistic and laughable, without being exaggerated into caricature.

23.   Yet some of the more serious stories are enjoyable for their efforts to think through missing scenes and get period details just right.

24.   The chorus and orchestra of Les Arts Florissants are conducted by William Christie with scrupulous attention to period detail.