[Musical Settings of the Hippocratic Oath]

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 20^th 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 15^th 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.