In a cyclical structure, motifs heard in one movement recur in

• A. The same movement only
• B. In the development of the first movement
• C. Later movements
• D. Not at all

Answer: (C)

Motifs crossing movements bind a multi-movement work into a single musical idea. In a cyclical form, a theme introduced in one movement returns in later movements, giving listeners a sense of continuity and anticipation as the cycle unfolds. The return can be exact or transformed—new key, altered rhythm, varied scoring—but its identity remains recognizable. This recurrence across the cycle is what makes the later movements feel like parts of the same story rather than separate pieces. A classic illustration is Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique, where the central idée fixe reappears in various guises across movements, tying the work together.