apocalyptic and dramatic classical and opera, reccomendations please?

Elend
It's not traditional romantic era classical music, its more contemporary style.
www.elend-music.org
also try

Penderecki - Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima
Messiaen - Quartet for the End of Time (can't get much more apocalyptic than that)
Schnittke - All of it is terrifying, but check out the String quartets and the viola concerto
Gorecki - Symphony No. 3 (a little saccharine and melodramatic for my taste, but YMMV)

Apocalyptica got me started in my favorite genre (and related genres) of music for the past two years. I simply love Apocalyptica.

Enverxis's and zhentil's suggestions are quite good. As for my suggestions in addition to what they've mentioned...

I wouldn't disregard E.S. Posthumus's Unearthed. It's on the classical side of things with deep and moving melodies. The album is also good in that it varies in tone from track to track (some are dark, some are softer and more Roman-styled). I often like to equate the sound style with Gladiator's (the movie) soundtrack.


... now onto music that aren't classical but is very similar to Apocalyptica.

Apocalyptica's genre is either Instrumental Rock or Symphonic Metal (if you look through shops and music sites). I think Apocalyptica is more related to the second genre however since I personally haven't found many artists in Instrumental Rock that has Apocalyptica's characteristic emotionally dark and deep sound. Most Symphonic Metal is a different from Apocalyptica since it's a subgenre of Metal however. That means a "metal percussion-ish" sound with lots of lyrics. Note however there are a number of Symphonic Metal artists that have a strikingly "symphonic" melody performed in a way to emulate a large classical group. Artists that employ female vocalists usually have an almost "opera-ish" characteristics in regards to the lyrics. As for the specific artists, I believe Within Temptation and Nightwish resemble Apocalyptica the most in the Symphonic Metal genre. I for one was first pulled into the genre by Apocalyptica and subsequently now love Within Temptation and Nighwish as well.

In truth, I can't say if you will like those two bands or not though I bet most people who like Apocalyptica will like them. I for one used to listen to solely classical music until Apocalyptica introduced me to Symphonic Metal. As a matter of fact, I don't like normal metal and rock at all. Hahaha. While Apocalyptica is classical music that has metal influences, Syphonic Metal is metal with classical music influences. The reason I recommended those two is because those two bands are two of the most classical-ish artists in Symphonic Metal.

This is probably because they toured together once, and people who are not familiar with metal as a whole who attended such concerts (Rammstein not metal remember) probably devised this clever theory

Speaking of Faust, Schnittke's Faust Cantata is quite dramatic and dark, and displays his signature polystylism quite nicely.

Mahler 6th.

See the Mahler thread for suggestions.

I like the recordings by Klaus Tennstedt and Giuseppe Sinopoli.


-jar

Mozart's and Berlioz's Requiems might have the kind of sound you're looking for.

Also, give some Pérotin a shot, listening to him always gives me shivers up my spine.

Might not be the same kind of stuff that you mean though.

I agree with this one, but I am going to suggest the '59 recording with Dimitri Mitropoulos. It was part of a fairly-expensive Music and Arts box-set; however, it is out (in equally good sound) on the EMI Great Conductors of the Century set for about $11. There is also a fantastic, so I've been told, recording on the NYPO "Mahler Broadcasts" box-set. Same conductor, and very high price.

Mahler's 2nd is about the Resurrection and Last Judgment, so it can't get more apocalyptic than that. See the Mahler thread for more on that. However, I don't know if it would be dark enough for you.

Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen is about the end of the gods and the purification of the old, corrupt world. That, too, is about as intense as one could want. It is also plenty dark at moments. Siegfried, the third opera in the cycle, is very brooding and dark until the last hour or so.

Yes, Der Ring des Nibelungen is indeed a dark, dramatical, mystical and sober piece.

For perhaps, a bit more accessibility, the good old Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni is a good option IMO: Bursting of drama and pain and propelled by a bombastic musical language. Bel-Canto in it's perhaps most streched out shape?

Exactly my thoughts.

Like a broken record I go....

While not opera or classical per se, I would highly recommend you try Virgin Black as they contain both classical and opera elements in their music. It is very dramatic as well. Might not be your cup of tea, but you never know

I'm pretty sure we've both recommended Virgin Black to the OP in the Does Tool Ruin Rock and Metal thread

HA!! This place does things to your head