W hite Crane Study began as a short character piece for the violin which was to evoke some of the extraordinary qualities of the crane, a bird that inspired a famous style of Chinese martial arts (Pai Huo). Though relatively small and unaggressive, the crane can generate sufficient energy through its powerful wings to break branches, maintain balance in even the strongest winds, and emit a high, piercing cry which carries for miles.

My materials quickly unfurled in unexpected directions and I found myself writing a much larger work. The piece generates energy with powerful rhythmic gestures and a variety of effects which extend the string sonority in many directions, some quite birdlike" incidentally. The first movement is characterized by a 'growing' energy, ascending in flight if you will. Once a high pinnacle is achieved, a transition leads to a scherzo originally conceived as a battle between the crane and a snake. The third movement is a slow reflection of previous motives , especially a tremolo which resembles distant crane calls. After an eerie slide down the entire length of the violin's D string, these tremolos rebuild energy to a vigorous recapitulation of the opening melody in the brilliant final movement.