哥爾登 (Ricky Ian Gordon, 1956-) 為美國當代重要作曲家之一，他在歌劇、舞蹈音樂、音樂劇及電影配樂方面皆有出色的成就，但最為大眾所最熟悉的是他的歌曲創作。《天才兒童》創作於一九九二年，為一組由十首歌曲組成的聯篇歌曲，是選自美國詩人修斯 (Langston Hughes, 1902-1967) 的詩詞。
本文主要以五個部份來論述：哥爾登的生平概述、哥爾登的藝術歌曲、詩人修斯的簡介、《天才兒童》的創作背景、擇選六首《天才兒童》的樂曲分析。本文藉由分析哥爾登《天才兒童》的六首歌曲，來探究哥爾登如何運用和聲、旋律及節奏等音樂手法，使音樂與詩緊密地結合在一起，以勾畫出詩詞的意境。
哥爾登常常善用簡單的節奏和輕鬆的曲風，並結合了古典音樂的織度及和聲，使他的音樂具有優雅的氣質與風格，能適當地反應出詩人寫詩的心境與詩詞的內涵，此外，哥爾登也在其音樂中加入流行音樂的元素，使作品呈現出流行樂的風格，反映出現代的都會生活。

Ricky Ian Gordon (1956-) is one of America’s most distinguished contemporary composers. Though successful in writing for opera, dance, theater and film, he has gained great recognition for his song compositions. Composed in 1992, Genius Child is a song cycle of 10 songs which sets the poems of American poet, Langston Hughes (1902-1967).
The study is divided into five parts for discussion: An overview of Gordon’s life, art music of Gordon, an introduction to poet Langston Hughes; the background to composing Genius Child; and music analysis of six selected songs from Genius Child. By analyzing six songs from Gordon’s Genius Child, the study is to discuss how Gordon tightly combines music and poems together through vocal, melody, rhythm and other music techniques, which enables to depict the poem’s conception.
Gordon often properly utilizes simple rhythms and relaxing genre of music, and integrates them with the textures and harmonies of classical music, to create elegant music with style. His music can appropriately reflect the conception and deep meaning of the poet writing a poem. In addition, Gordon adds popular music elements into music to express the styles of popular music, reflecting modern urban life.

論文審定書 i
中文摘要 ii
英文摘要 iii
目錄 iv
譜例目錄 v
一、前言 1
二、哥爾登的生平概述 3
三、哥爾登的藝術歌曲 6
四、詩人修斯的簡介 9
五、《天才兒童》的創作背景 12
六、擇選六首《天才兒童》的樂曲分析
1.〈冬月〉(Winter Moon) 14
2.〈天才兒童〉(Genius Child) 18
3.〈公園中的孩子〉(Kid in the Park) 24
4.〈成為大人物〉(To Be Somebody) 28
5.〈我的人民〉(My People) 35
6.〈快樂〉(Joy) 40
七、結語 48
八、參考文獻 50
九、附錄一：六首《天才兒童》歌詞翻譯 52
十、附錄二：楊佩燕解說音樂會節目單 55
十一、附錄三：楊佩燕碩士音樂會節目單 57

西文書目
Benton, Cayce Brecheen. “ A Study of the Musical Settings of Langston Hughes' Poetry in Ricky Ian Gordon's Song Cycle Genius Child. ” DMA diss., Miami University, 2001.
Berry, Faith. Langston Hughes: Before and Beyond Harlem. New York: Carol Publishing Group, 1992.
Gates, Henry Louis, Jr. and K. A. Appiah, eds. Langstons Hughes: Critical Perspectives Past and Present. New York : Amistad Press, 1993.
Hall, James Husst. The Art Song. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1981.
Holden, Stephen. “Music Review: Composer's Happy Leap into the Beauty of Poetry,” The New York Times 1 (2002) : 2-4.
________. “ Pop Review: Bursting with Effervescence, Skipping among Genres ,” The New York Times 3 (2001) : 5.
Hughes, Langston. I Wonder as I Wander. New York: Hill and Wang, 1964.
_______. Selected Poems of Langston Hughes. New York: Knopf, 1959.
_______. The Big Sea. New York: Knopf, 1940.
_______. The Poems: 1921-1940. The Collected Works of Langston Hughes. Vol. 1. ed. Arnold Rampersad. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2001.
_______. The Poems: 1941-1950. The Collected Works of Langston Hughes. Vol. 2. ed. Arnold Rampersad. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2001.
Katz, Donald. Home Fires: An Intimate Portrait of One Middle-Class Family in Postwar American. New York: Harper Collins Press, 1992.
Kellow, Brian. “High Scorers: Ricky Ian Gordon,” Opera News 64 (Apr. 1, 2000) : 22-26.
_______. “The Lonely Hunter,” Opera News 71 (Jan. 2007), 28-32.
Miller, R. Baxter. The Art and Imagination of Langston Hughes. Lexington: The University Press, 1989.
Rampersad, Arnold. Life of Langston Hughes. Vol.1 1902-1941. New York: Oxford University Press, 1986.
________. Life of Langston Hughes. Vol.II. 1941-1967. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988.
Reighley, Kurt B. “Ricky's Rhapsodies” Advocate 839 (May. 2001) : 73.
Villamil, Victoria Etnier. A Singer’s Guide to American Art Song: 1870-1980. New York：The Scarecrow Press, 1993.
網路資料
Simeone, Lisa “Profile: Music of Ricky Ian Gordon.” The Philadelphia Inquirer 11 Oct. 2001. Newspaper Source, EBSCOhost. National Sun Yat-Sen University Lib., 10 July 2010 <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nfh&AN=6XN200111102010&lang=zh-tw&site=ehost-live>.
<http://www.krannertcenter.com/images/cm/200961011155315127001/KCPA_cabell_WEB.pdf >.
中文書目
羅良功。〈論蘭斯頓•修斯的人民陣線詩歌〉，《外國文學研究》，(2008年第二期)：50-56。
樂譜
Gordon, Ricky Ian. Genius Child: A Cycle of 10 Songs For High Voice. Milwaukee: Williamson Music, 1995.