Don Satz fantasises:

>If it's good enough for tenors, it's fine for cellists.  I don't know
>that the three most accomplished active cellists plan to give a recital
>together, but it would be a great event.

But what would they play? I don't know that even Vivaldi did any
concertos for three cellos.  They could do some Berlin Phil Cellos stuff,
or the Bachianas #5, but for the sort of bucks you'd be paying, you want
substantial music.  Suggestions: Draw lots to see which two Bach suites
each one gets to play.  Toss a coin to see which movement of a concerto
each plays.  Three one-minute rounds of a bow fight to see who plays two
movements of the Elgar concerto.  Persuade Rostropovich to play Britten's
Cello Symphony.

>Which cellists would make good back-ups in case of illness?

Lynn Harrell, Rafael Wallfisch, Peter Wispelwey.  How about Jordi Savall
as a wild card?

BTW, in Australia we have three jazz musicians who call themselves the
Three Tenors but they play saxes.

Richard Pennycuick
[log in to unmask]