PERIODICITY AND CYCLIC RECURRENCE AS A BASIS OF MUSICAL TIME ARRANGEMENT.

The article focuses on the role of symmetry—specifically periodicity and cyclic recurrence—as foundational principles in the temporal arrangement of European music. It traces how these forms of translational symmetry have historically structured musical coherence, from archaic ritualistic and mythological contexts through Christian chant traditions to the development of absolute music in the 18th and 19th centuries. The study examines various types of periodicity, including metric, rhythmic, and thematic recurrences, and explores cyclicity in classical forms such as rondos, sonatas, and multi-movement cycles, highlighting their expressive and informational functions. It also discusses the tension between repetition and novelty in musical narrative, noting shifts in 20th-century avant-garde music toward reducing predictability and embracing ritualistic or stream-of-consciousness paradigms. The article concludes by considering the ambivalent nature of cyclicity as both a symbol of closed unity and open, evolving processes in composition.