In Sequenza V for trombone solo the memory of Grock, the last big clown, peeps out. Grock was my neighbor at Oneglia: he dwelt in an odd and complex country house in the hills, in a sort of oriental garden with small pagodas, small lakes, bridges, streams and weeping-willows.

With my school fellows I used to climb over his garden's gates to steal oranges and tangarines. During my childhood the closeness, the excessive familiarity with his name and adults' indifference prevented me from comprehending his genius.

Only later--I was 11 years old--I had the chance to see him in performance at ``Teatro Cavour'' in Porto Mauricio I realized it. During that performance, just once, he suddenly stopped and, staring at the audience, he asked: WARUM (why). I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, I wished I could do both of them. After that experience I haven't stolen oranges from his garden anymore.

Sequenza V is a tribute to that ``warum'' in English: why

(Luciano Berio)