Beethoven composed his Horn Sonata in F major, Op. 17 in 1800 for the virtuoso

Virtuoso

A virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in the fine arts, at singing or playing a musical instrument. The plural form is either virtuosi or the Anglicisation, virtuosos, and the feminine form sometimes used is virtuosa...

 horn player Giovanni Punto

Giovanni Punto

Giovanni Punto was a Czech horn player and a pioneer of the hand-stopping technique which allows natural horns to play a greater number of notes.He was an international celebrity in the 18th and early 19th centuries, known in London,...

. Beethoven was not yet well-known at the time of this composition, and after the premiere of the piece, played by Punto, a critic wrote, "Who is this Beethover? His name is not known to us. Of course, Punto is very well known." This piece was composed for the rare combination of horn and piano

Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...

, but is also scored for the more common piano and cello. The title on the score, is in fact "Sonata for Piano with Horn or Violoncello," or, in French "Sonate pour le Forte-Piano avec un Cor ou Violoncelle." It consists of three movements:

1. Allegro moderato
2. Poco adagio
3. Rondo: Allegro molto

A standard performance usually lasts 15 minutes.