Sequenza V is a showpiece; performing it includes theatrical elements. This means that the trombonist must not only evince his instrumental skill – he must also have a sense of sorrowful humour; it is not happenstance that caused Berio to dedicate the piece to the memory of Grock, the great clown. When the bewildered trombonist suddenly asks, “Why?” (as Grock used to do), he is not calling the performance, the piece, the concert into question; he is querying the meaning of life itself.

As the Sequenza progresses, a very special bond develops between the musician and his instrument - the latter takes on almost human traits, as the audience looks and listens with pleasure and astonishment.