The Pragmatic Dimension of Musical Maqamat in the Play "Mais Alreem"

Abstract

In this research, we adopted pragmatics as an ideal model to analyze the musical modal shifts in the play Mais El Reem by the Rahbani brothers, where music plays a central role in expressing the progression of events and shifts in situations within the theatrical work. The research aims to understand the impact of musical modes in guiding the emotions of characters and audience engagement through their alignment with the dramatic narrative and adaptation to changing events. The research problem stems from the scarcity of studies that address theater music from a pragmatic perspective, despite its profound role in enhancing emotional engagement and influencing the collective sentiments of the audience. This highlights the need for musical analysis that enhances this dimension.

The study applied an analytical pragmatic approach to examine the musical modes used in Mais El Reem, such as Nahawand, Ajam, and Bayat, focusing on how they adapt to dramatic situations and contextual changes. The findings showed that musical modes are not merely aesthetic components; rather, they play a vital pragmatic role, reflecting the dramatic contexts of the play and deepening the audience's understanding of events and emotions. This contributes to achieving emotional engagement between the performance and the audience. The study also concluded that music serves as a powerful communicative tool, fostering psychological and emotional connections within the theatrical performance.

Based on these findings, the research recommends increasing studies that integrate pragmatic analysis with the arts, given the profound meanings and implications music carries in enhancing emotional engagement and directing the general sentiment of the theater audience. This perspective opens new horizons for pragmatic analysis, encompassing various art forms, specifically music as a means to analyze emotional dimensions and theatrical contexts in Arab theater.