Aeonic Etude No. 2 in A minor, “Pontianak”

Pontianak
Aeonic Etude No. 2 in A minor
Composed and performed by Mrinank.

Composition Details:
Opus: Aeonic Etude
Tonal Center: A minor
Extended Tonal Regions: F major, A major, C major, E major, B major, G harmonic minor, G minor, B♭ major, F♯ major/minor, and extensive chromaticism.
Style: East-Asian urban myth inspired programmatic fantasy-etude.

After months of rigorous composition, revision, and the abandonment of countless ideas, I present Aeonic Etude No. 2 in A minor — Pontianak.

This fantasy etude is conceived as an extended rondo, built from recurring themes that undergo continuous transformation through escalating technical demands, alongside contrasting sections that evoke love, beauty, and—at times—subtle grief.

The work is programmatic, drawing inspiration from the Southeast Asian myth of the Pontianak: a vengeful spirit who appears as a strikingly beautiful woman, seducing her victims before revealing her true form and killing those who fall for her deception. The recurring “A” sections portray this act of destruction, while the contrasting sections (e.g., “B” and “C”) depict the period of seduction. If you ever find yourself falling in love with this piece, know this—the Pontianak has already won.

Time Stamps:
0:00 1. Preludio (Part 1/3)
0:48 Modulation No. 1
1:06 2. Preludio (Part 2/3)
1:28 3. Preludio (Part 3/3)
1:48 4. A1 (Part 1/1): Tema A — Variation I
2:13 5. B (Part 1/4): Modulation No. 2
2:42 5. B (Part 2/4): Tema B — Variation I
3:01 5. B (Part 3/4): Tema B — Variation II
3:18 5. B (Part 4/4): Tema B — Variation III
3:43 6. A2 (Part 1/1): Tema A — Variation II
3:57 7. C (Part 1/2): Modulation No. 3
4:21 7. C (Part 2/2): Tema C
4:47 8. A3 (Part 1/1): Tema A — Variation III
5:39 9. D (Part 1/3): Modulation No. 4
6:16 9. D (Part 2/3): Tema D — Variation I
6:53 9. D (Part 3/3): Tema D — Variation II
7:16 10. A4 (Part 1/1): Tema A — Variation IV
8:08 11. E (Part 1/4): Tema E — Variation I
8:37 11. E (Part 2/4): Tema E — Variation II
8:55 11. E (Part 3/4): Tema E(+A) — Variation III
9:15 11. E (Part 4/4): Tema E — Variation IV
9:50 12. Transitory Chromatic Passage
10:10 13. A5 (Part 1/1): Tema A — Variation V
10:33 14. Grand Transition into F# leaps: Modulation No. 5 (Tema “F”)
10:58 15. A6 (Part 1/2): Tema A — Variation VI (Sub. 1/2)
11:10 15. A6 (Part 2/2): Tema A — Variation VI (Sub. 2/2)
11:28 16. A7 (Part 1/1): Tema A — Variation VII
11:43 17. A8 (Part 1/1): Tema A — Variation VIII
12:13 18. Cadenza (Tema “G”)
13:37 19. Coda (Part 1/2) (Tema “H”)
14:42 20. Coda (Part 2/2) (A9: Tema “A” — Variation IX)

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