Summary
Overview
Freakonomics Radio explores composer David Lang's creation of 'The Wealth of Nations,' a new oratorio inspired by Adam Smith's seminal economics text. Host Stephen Dubner follows Lang through the creative process, from conception to world premiere with the New York Philharmonic, examining how economic theory can become emotionally resonant music and what this reveals about our relationship with money, labor, and human connection.
The Genesis of an Economic Oratorio
David Lang explains how his oratorio about Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations came to be commissioned by the New York Philharmonic after the success of his previous project. Reading the 18th-century text with a specific purpose, Lang discovered themes that resonated emotionally rather than just intellectually. He initially searched for sheep references to connect it to Handel's Messiah but eventually found deeper meaning in how trade connects people and how money represents human labor rather than having inherent value.
- The piece was commissioned after Lang's successful 'Prisoner of the State' project where he rewrote Beethoven's Fidelio
- Lang wouldn't have read the 900-page book without having a commission - it's long and written in difficult 18th-century language
- His original idea was to compare it to Handel's Messiah by finding sheep references, but those jokes were eventually edited out
- The themes evolved from factory imagery to the more provocative idea that trade connects us and money represents labor, not intrinsic value
" I wasn't going to read the book unless I had a gig to read the book. It's a long book. "
" Money doesn't really represent anything by itself, but it represents the amount of labor that we put into doing something. "
Money, Philosophy, and Personal Economics
Lang and Dubner explore the paradox of money being seen as inhumane when it's actually humanity's greatest social lubricant. Lang reveals his personal philosophy about having 'enough' money, shaped by growing up without wealth and his mother's saying that 'enough is as good as a feast.' This perspective informed both his life choices and his approach to Adam Smith's text, focusing not on capitalism itself but on the human connections that money facilitates.
- Money is the greatest social lubricant ever invented compared to alternatives like physical goods or violence
- Lang grew up in a family without money; his mother's saying 'enough is as good as a feast' shaped his relationship with wealth
- He was a chemistry undergraduate at Stanford pre-med before switching to music, knowing the financial risks compared to his doctor father
- His mother said 'there's still time to go to medical school' even after his Cleveland Orchestra performance at age 27
" I'm not that interested in money, to be honest. I'm interested in having enough. And then that question of how much is enough is different for everybody else. "
" My mother in tears after the performance leaned down and I thought, I'm finally going to get the approval that I've always wanted. And instead, she said, there's still time to go to medical school. "
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