The Trois grands trios call for an ensemble of three horns in E, the same key that Reicha, to whom Gallay dedicates these works, writes for in his own Op. 82 Trios. Whilst the Reicha works, dating from some time before 1815, contain technical challenges for all three musicians, the Gallay trios, composed roughly fifteen years later, are much more dramatic and developed works. The title ‘Grands Trios’ seems particularly apt: each set is constructed with a quasi-symphonic structure of opening Allegro, slow movement, menuet or scherzo and trio, and virtuosic finale. 

In the Deuxième Trio Gallay explores a dark sound world, deeply influenced by the tragic bravura arias that Gallay would have heard and played in the Théâtre Italien opera pit. From the opening cries of the Allegro maestoso, the G-sharp minor tonality immediately calls for different colours from the instruments than are required in the other Grands Trios. Gallay indicates in footnotes to the first horn part (bars 1 and 54) that in order for the F sharp to be perfectly in tune, it should be played with the hand out of the bell rather than the fully stopped position that French players were used to using. The Adagio non troppo is a gentle barcarole with a beautiful arioso melody. The opening of the Allegro vivace is Scherzo like in character whilst the accompanying Trio is an elegant waltz. The opening to the finale, an anguished Allegro agitato gives way, briefly, to a more spirited Più Allegro, yet concludes in the impassioned spirit of the opening movement.