MicroneurosurgeryWithVideoTapesFrontIntroduction

In 1998 Greek neurosurgeon Dr. Stergios Tegos published the book “Microneurosurgery With Video Tapes”, documenting the pathology of spinal space-occupying lesions. The book was issued in a box together with three 4-hour VHS video cassettes including recordings of 35 surgical operations, aimed at students for education and young neurosurgeons to improve their skills.

In order to ‘provide a more pleasant, relaxing and less monotonous experience’ Dr. Tegos asked his friend Vangelis to compose music for the more than 11 hours of video footage, which he gladly accepted. As the doctor explained in an interview: ‘I met Vangelis in 1992 and we were very close. We got along, and I asked him for two favors: the first was to have his brain scanned by an MRI because it has been proven that talented musicians have an enlarged area of ​​the brain called the temporal lobe. This he refused. Then I asked him to write music for my surgeries. And he sat down and wrote. And we started in the evenings and watched the surgeries together. I explained to him what it was about and, like they do in the cinema, he would watch the images and compose original music for the operation. We would watch it and watch it again and at some point when he understood the operation, we would compose the music. He had no previous contact with medicine. Everyone is fascinated when they see an open brain and a tumor coming out, but when I explained to him that here we have a tumor that is extremely malignant, his music was also affected. Where the tumor was benign and things were happier, there the music was lighter’.

For years the book and music went unnoticed by Vangelis-enthusiasts, until in 2011 top collector Don went on a mission to Athens and tracked down a copy of the elusive box. After that the set became a collector’s item and sold out quickly. To keep the material available for educational purpose Dr. Tegos re-issued the video’s on DVD and published them online in 2013. Note however that the re-issued videos are edited and missing some 52 minutes of footage compared to the original release on VHS video cassette.

The book and videotapes are housed in a large and sturdy boxset. The book content is presented in both Greek and English and apart from a preface where Dr. Tegos acknowledges Vangelis’ contribution, consists of two sections: first a general review of the commonest space-occupying lesions of the spinal cord, and second a detailed description of 35 representative patients whose operations have been recorded on video. The three VHS videocassettes that contain the recordings of these operations are in the PAL stereo format.

The video footage of the operations is rather explicit and not for the faint at heart. Vangelis’ improvised compositions play throughout, summing up to more than 11 hours of original music. Intended as background music Vangelis’ compositions are ambient of nature, very atmospheric and hardly melodic. The digital sounds are reminiscent of his 1990s studio albums, from “The City” (1990) to “El Greco” (1998). In the videos Dr. Tegos can be heard explaining the medical procedure, which in recordings available online has been meticulously cut out, leaving about 9,5 hours of continuous music.

On the inner cover of the book Vangelis is quoted saying: ‘Every human being, animal, plant or mineral carries the imprint of the cycle of Creation. Sound has always followed the sequences of change in this cycle, like a code carrying the function and dimension of the universe, being at the same time it’s generator. Let us go deep into our memory (and remember), by doing this, we will be able to decode the code of the Creation of the universe and, therefore, our own. What an extraordinary and divine key is music!’.

 

MicroneurosurgeryWithVideoTapesVHSDetails and credits

  • Title: Microneurosurgery With Video Tapes
  • Author: Dr. Stergios Tegos
  • Year: 1998
  • Country: Greece
  • Format: 3 PAL 4-hour stereo VHS video cassettes
  • Length: 35 cases, each 4 to 37 minutes in length (total 670 minutes)
  • Music by Vangelis.

 

Media

  • 1998 Medical Publications Konstandaras ISBN 960-86077-2-8 Greece (boxset including book and 3 VHS video cassettes)

 

Recording studio

Although there is no reference in Dr. Tegos book, considering the timing the music was likely recorded in one of Vangelis' home studios in Athens.

 

Links