The common thread joining all these pieces is Martinu’s homesickness, his love for his homeland and its folk traditions. The first version of Špalícek (“a ballet of national games, customs and fairy tales”) written in 1931–32 closed with the “ballet cantata” The Spectre’s Bride, based on the poem by Karel Jaromír Erben, the renowned Czech folk song collector. The ballad was later omitted due to the total length of the performance, returning to its original context first on this CD again.