Cost, patronage, and biting the hand

Great. Then depressed. Then great again. Stephen Dubner gets the full story from David Lang; we also hear from some fans, and the New York Philharmonic’s president. The math and the aftermath of wealth of nations. (Part two of a series.)

• SOURCES:
  • David Lang, composer and professor at the Yale School of Music.
  • Matías Tarnopolsky, president and C.E.O. of the New York Philharmonic.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Finally, an Opera About Economics," by Stacey Vanek Smith (Bloomberg, 2026).
  • "The Little Match Girl Passion," by David Lang (2023).
  • The Wealth of Nations, by Adam Smith (1776).

• EXTRAS:
  • "David Lang’s the wealth of nations," series by Freakonomics Radio (2026).
  • "In Search of the Real Adam Smith," series by Freakonomics Radio (2022).

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