美國藝術歌曲融合各民族之特色，於二十世紀到達發展巔峰。出生於此時的美國當代著名女性作曲家莉比・拉森 ( Libby Larsen, 1950- )，其作品類型多元，創作數目超過五百首，並以聲樂與合唱作品為大宗。本篇論文將探討拉森於1979年與2000年所創作的兩組藝術歌曲作品《牛仔之歌》( Cowboy songs ) 與《我的安東妮亞》( My Ántonia )。
《牛仔之歌》三首歌曲的詩詞出自三位不同詩人之手，分別為美國女性詩人貝爾・史塔爾 ( Belle Starr, 1848- 1889 )、美國詩人羅伯特・克里利 ( Robert Creeley, 1926- 2005 ) 以及一位佚名詩人。詩詞各自獨立，呈現出三位具有西部牛仔人格特質的角色，鼓起勇氣面對各自的人生課題。聯篇歌曲《我的安東妮亞》由七首歌曲組成，取材自美國女性作家薇拉・凱瑟 ( Wilella Cather, 1873- 1947 ) 的同名小說《我的安東妮亞》( My Ántonia, 1918 )，並透過回憶與現實的交錯，呈現出男女主角的生活樣貌，進而帶出十九世紀美國社會與移民家庭之間的種種問題，同時也細膩的刻畫出美國西部大草原變化萬千的四季景緻。
兩組作品中，透過節奏變化與旋律起伏，呈現英文語韻的自然美感。拉森打破傳統功能和聲概念，以教會調式搭配不協和音程、五聲音階與七、九、十一、十三和弦素材，製造出豐富的音響效果。兩組作品經常以主題動機貫穿，透過速度、拍號、調性的頻繁變換，營造特定樂曲氛圍與角色心境轉變。此外，由於拉森幼年時期受葛雷果聖歌 ( Gregorian Chant ) 影響，作品中經常以無伴奏自由速度段落呈現出角色內心獨白。
透過拉森細膩的筆觸，將文學、文化、自然、女性主義與音樂融合，試圖以自己的音樂發揮影響力，為世界帶來溫暖。筆者探討兩組樂曲創作手法之分析，期待能透過此研究，讓更多人認識拉森的寫作風格與理念。

American art songs merged with the characteristics of ethnic groups which reached the peak in the 20th century. Libby Larsen (1950-), a world famous contemporary female composer from the U.S., has created a catalogue of over 500 pieces spanning diverse genres; and the majority of her works contains both vocal and choral. By individually analyzing two sets of art songs “Cowboy songs” and “My Ántonia” composed by Larsen in 1979 and 2000, the thesis is going to focus on the analysis and interpretation of these two masterpieces.
The lyrics of “Cowboy songs” were written by three different poets: Belle Starr (1848-1889), Robert Creeley (1926-2005), and one anonymous writer. Independently, these poems present three different characters mustering up the courage to face their own life-changing issues, while at the same time three of them share the particular personality trait of western cowboys. On the other hand, the song cycle “My Ántonia” consists of seven songs, based on the novel “My Ántonia” written by Willella Cather (1873-1947) ; the contents are a series of old-time memories and the present of the male and female protagonists intertwined, which not only brings out various conflicts over the American society and immigrant families in the nineteenth century, but also vividly portrays the dynamic images of the prairie in the western United States.
In both “Cowboy songs” and “My Ántonia,” the beauty of English language is conveyed through the changes in pitch and rhythm. Breaking through the traditional concept of functional harmony, Larsen creates rich acoustic effects by combining church mode with dissonant interval, the pentatonic scale, and the seventh, ninth, eleventh, and the thirteenth chord. She uses thematic motives to promote conversion in her works; that is, through the alternation of speed, time signature and tonality, she successfully develops a specific musical atmosphere while also shows the emotional change of the characters. In addition, under the childhood influence of Gregorian Chant, Larsen’s works often include the internal monologue of the characters in an unaccompanied free speed section.
With her delicate skills, Larsen integrates literature, culture, nature and feminism into music, trying to bring inspiration and warmth to the public. This thesis aims to explore and analyze the compositional techniques in her two songs, hoping to let more people recognize the specialties of this great composer.

一、中文專書
蔡良玉。《美國專業音樂發展簡史》。北京：人民音樂出版社，1992。

蔡良玉、王晡。《美國音樂文論集》。北京：人民音樂出版社，1993。

二、中文論文
葉思吟。〈美國藝術歌曲多元背景與創作素材–以選自普爾帝詩詞的杭得利八首藝術歌曲為例〉。國立交通大學碩士論文，2013。

鄭旨真。〈莉比・拉森以書信所譜寫之歌曲《國王殿下，審判我吧！》之作品研究與詮釋〉。國立台灣師範大學，2017。

蕭涵。〈皇后的愛恨情仇 莉比・拉森以亨利八世皇后的書信所譜寫歌曲集《國王殿下，審判我吧！》之作品研究與詮釋〉。國立台灣師範大學，2015。

蘇柏容。〈拉爾森《求你審判，吾王我愛》研究〉。東海大學，2016。

三、外文專書
Denis, Stevens. A History of song. London：Hutchinson, 1982.

McCutchan, Ann. The Muse that Sings: Composers Speak about the Creative Process. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 1999.

Kimball, Caro. Song: A Guide to Art Song Style and Literature. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corporation, 2006.

Slayton, Michael K.. Women of Influence in Contemporary Music: Nine American Composers. Maryland: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2011.

Von Glahn, Denise. Libby Larsen: Composing an American Life. Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 2017.

四、外文論文
Richardson, Ann Gabrielle. Cowboy Art Song: A Contextual and Musical Analysis of Libby Larsen's “Cowboy Songs”. University of Southern Mississippi, 2018.

Zavracky, Gregory. Libby Larsen's “My Ántonia”: The Song Cycle and the Tonal Landscspe of the American Prairie. Boston University College of Fine Arts, 2014.

五、外文期刊
Secrest, Glenda Denise. “Songs from Letters and Cowboy Songs by Libby Larsen: Two Different Approaches to Western Mythology and Western Mythological Figures.” Journal of Singing 64, No. 1, (September/October 2007): 21-30.

Strand, Katherine. “A Socratic Dialogue with Libby Larsen: On Musuc Experience in American Culture, and Music Education.” Philosophy of Music Education Review 19, No. 1, (Spring 2011): 53-66.

Zavracky, Gregory. “A Guide to Libby Larsen’s My Ántonia.” Journal of Singing 74, No. 4, (March/April 2018): 393-401.

六、樂譜
Larsen, Libby. Cowboy Songs. New York: Oxford University Press, c.2010.

Larsen, Libby. My Ántonia. New York: E. C. Schimer Music Company, c.2006.