The ancient folk custom of welcoming in the spring and symbolic incantations above the forest streams, cleaning out the wells and opening paths to new life - these are the themes underlying Martinu's chamber cantata for female choir, solos and recitation, accompanied by two violins, viola and piano. The Opening of the Wells is the first of a cycle of four cantatas written to texts by poet Miloslav Bures, extolling the beauty of the composer's native Vysocina [Highlands] region. This title contains a preface by Jiri Berkovec in Czech, English and German.