Berio's Sequenza series for solo instruments can be seen as a collaborative process not only in the performance of these works but in the compositional process itself. On many occasions Berio's consultation with particular performers, including Eliot Fisk for Sequenza XI and Cathy Berberian for Sequenza III led the composer to approach each piece differently. In the case of Sequenza XII for bassoon (1995), Pascal Gallois was a crucial catalyst for Berio's decision to write the piece at all, demonstrating the wide-ranging personality of the instrument, including its timbral and technical possibilities. The piece is strung along a backbone of glissandi, with, as is typical of Berio's monophonic Sequenzas, excursions into rapid melodic fragments and complex articulated gestures. In a live performance, the piece can stretch to close to half an hour; the performer's ability to circular-breathe is virtually a necessity, with some glissando passages lasting for many minutes without a pause.

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