A further volume of Smetana’s piano works reveals the composer as creator of short, lyrical pieces – moments of repose, varied in character and style. The pieces were mostly written in the 1840s-50s with the intention of composing works using all 24 keys, something which Smetana ultimately did not fully realise. The composer prepared some of them for publication himself – the first six works were published in 1851 as Album Leaves op. 2, and others were issued later under the title Sketches.