Der Eid des Hippokrates zum Hören? Zwei bedeutende Komponisten der „Neuen Musik“ wagten
sich an eine Vertonung des antiken Textes. Der vorliegende Aufsatz präsentiert Interpretationen
dieser beiden Werke aus medizinhistorischer Perspektive.
Abstract
The Hippocratic Oath is one of the most known medical texts. Despite its importance,
it was rarely used in art and music. There exist only two complex musical settings
of the Hippocratic Oath: “SERMENT-ΟΡΚΟΣ pour chœur mixte” (“Oath for mixed chorus”)
by Iannis Xenakis (1922–2001) and “Der Eid des Hippokrates für Klavier zu 3 Händen”
(“The Hippocratic Oath for piano three hands”) by Mauricio Kagel (1931–2008). Both
being among the most important composers of the 20th century: Xenakis attempted to apply stochastic processes to his compositional techniques
and Kagel is considered a pioneer of instrumental theatre. Both musical settings of
the Hippocratic Oath were commissioned by medical institutions: Xenakis composed the
work “Serment” in 1981 as a commission for the 15th World Congress of the “International Society of Cardiovascular Surgery” in Athens.
“Der Eid des Hippokrates” was composed by Kagel in 1984 on behalf of the German medical
journal “Deutsches Ärzteblatt”. Both works are therefore intended for medical practitioners
and both are influenced by the pathography of the two composers. This article will
present results of the analysis and interpretation from a medical-historical perspective.
Schlüsselwörter
Hippokratischer Eid - Musik - 20. Jahrhundert - Medizingeschichte
Keywords
Hippocratic Oath - music - 20th century - medical history
