They accuse Bellini of musical infantilism. I can’t even. More than anyone else, he embodies the art of knowing what to remove (like Michelangelo with his sculptures) rather than adding (a horror vacui from a lack of ideas), creating an astonishing simplicity that says so much about the character’s personality, the dramatic situation, and the emotional impact. No wonder he was admired by the greatest musicians of his time, like Chopin, Wagner, and many others.