Schubert’s Great Symphony

From its atmospheric beginning, Le Silence des Sirènes evokes vivid imagery of ill-fated ships on top of great, swelling waves: the score is alive with crashing percussion and warning brass interjections, the enigmatic sirens’ song provided by Faustine de Monès. Unsuk Chin drew upon several classical sources for the work, including Homer, Joyce and – most notably – Kafka, whose short story gave the work its name.