Final answer:
Notes for Beethoven's 9th Symphony date back to 10 years before its premiere in 1824, with sketches from 1818 showing the early development of this iconic work.
Step-by-step explanation:
Notes for Ludwig van Beethoven's 9th Symphony can be traced back as early as 10 years before its first performance. Beethoven's 9th Symphony, also known as the Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, premiered on May 7, 1824.
However, sketches for this symphony date back to 1818, which gives evidence of Beethoven's long conception process for this iconic piece of music. The symphony is famous for its final movement, which includes Friedrich Schiller's 'Ode to Joy', a celebration of universal brotherhood.
The earliest ideas and musical fragments that led to the creation of Beethoven's final symphony are found in his notebooks from 1818. This is over a decade before the eventual premiere of the 9th Symphony. It demonstrates the composer's meticulous work and the evolution of his thought process over the years as he worked on what would be one of his greatest masterpieces.