Apocalyptic music?

[kelly_kelly]

I know this seems like an odd question, but would any of you happen to be familiar with musical works (any instrumentation) which are intended to depict anything apocalypse-related? (This is for a writing seminar on apocalyptic thought.)

[pianowolfi]

What comes first to mind: Messiaen's Quartet for the end of time.
Sofia Gubaidulina has used parts of the revelation as a counterpoint in her works "St. John Easter"
and "St. John Passion"

https://media.sikorski.de/media/files/1/12/190/236/300/4700/gubaidulina_werkverzeichnis.pdf

I have actually myself a project on Apocalypse, but that's not even in the phase of scetches and drafts. But I am sure it will happen

[goldentone]

Symphony No. 9, Beethoven.  Deep waters.  It's more than a symphony.

[djealnla]

Scriabin's Vers la Flamme is another (at least according to Horowitz).

*Checks computer music library*

Penderecki's Threnody

Scriabin's Mysterium (sadly, it is unfinished)

Dies Irae  

Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time is another apocalyptic work.

Any of the famous requiems will do just fine (be it Mozart's, Verdi's or Berlioz's).

Ligeti's 13th Piano Etude is yet another work you might want to look at.

The ending of Wagner's Ring cycle is a "mini apocalypse", if that is enough for you.  

And last but not least, the ending of Sorabji's Opus Clavicembalisticum   (in light of its dedication  ).

That's all I can think of find on my computer.  

[richard black]

Franz Schmidt's oratorio, 'Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln' is quite literally apocalytpic.

[kelly_kelly]

Thank you for all the suggestions! What do you guys think of a sort of "history" of Dies Irae and its use in (western classical) music? It can't actually be very "technical" paper, since this isn't for a music class.