The Clarinet BBoard  
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Author: smk  
Date:   2010-09-07 17:28 
 In the second movement, there is the word “frôleur”, which I cannot find in any french dictionary. Is it a misprint?  Anyone know what he means to indicate?
  
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Author: Liquorice  
Date:   2010-09-07 21:11 
 I don't know the trio. But there is a word in French "frôler" which means "to brush against". A person who does that would be a "frôleur", but that probably doesn't make sense in the way it is used in the trio? Hopefully someone with a better knowledge of French can shed some more light...
  
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Author: 2E  
Date:   2010-09-08 02:00 
 Perhaps the clarinetist is supposed to brush against the viola player? Just a thought.
  
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Author: David Niethamer  
Date:   2010-09-11 04:04 
 I asked my favorite French student to help, and she provided the following: 
 
> "Frôler" means to touch lightly or to brush by, so "Frôler la mort" means "to  
> have a brush with death" or to almost die, for example. 
> Someone who is a "frôleur," then, would be (as a noun) someone who performs > the action of the verb "frôler," who lightly touches or brushes by something. Or, > "frôleur" could be an adjective, which would most likely mean "lightly." 
 
> In my favorite french dictionary, "Frôleur" is defined as "Qui frôle" as a  
> noun/adjective, or also "L'homme qui frôle les femmes parce qu'il y trouve un  
> plaisir sexuel" (not appropriate for music...haha) -- so I'm guessing that what I  
> said above is right. "Lightly" or "With a light touch." 
 
BTW, for the list etiquette Nazis, I have her permission to share this 
 
David 
niethamer@aol.com 
http://members.aol.com/dbnclar1/index.html
  
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Author: Jack Kissinger  
Date:   2010-09-11 04:36 
 One of the internet translators I tried gave "flitter" as the translation.  An English dictionary gave "flutter" as a synonym.  In the context of the piece would flutter tonguing be appropriate where the notation appears?   
 
Best regards, 
jnk
  
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Author: Jack Kissinger  
Date:   2010-09-11 15:49 
 I finally got around to listening to a recording of the movement.  For the first minute or so, the three instruments (and particularly the clarinet and viola) sound like little insects flitting about.  They do, indeed play very lightly.  If the marking is at the beginning of the movement, I would say it probably means "lightly" or "flitter."  To get an idea of what it sounded like to me, hold a finger close to your eyelashes and blink your eyes quickly.  The feel of your eyelashes on your finger is sort of the effect. 
 
Best regards, 
jnk
  
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Author: srattle  
Date:   2010-09-11 17:09 
 I believe it means stroking, or brushed, and then I would translate that to whatever you think it means on the instrument.  
 
I think of it as a caressing sound, very sweet and gentle.
  
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Author: smk  
Date:   2010-09-11 17:44 
 Thanks to all - it is fairly clear now.  Pianissimo, delicate, ...
  
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Author: David Niethamer  
Date:   2010-09-12 15:56 
 In speaking to my source last night, she said the implication of this word in French is decidedly sexual (however that might translate into music?!?). If you want to talk about brushing the crumbs off the table cloth, there's another word for that! 
 
David 
niethamer@aol.com 
http://members.aol.com/dbnclar1/index.html
  
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