Martinů completed the one-act ballet entitled The Revolt during his stay in Polička at the end of the summer of 1925. He wrote his own libretto, based on the theme of a revolt by notes that refuse to serve poor music. The music of the ballet refers to music-hall, with foxtrot playing in the bar as Spanish dancers spin around. It is an unrestrained artistic capriccio, reflecting the mood of the time, enchanted by the invention of radio, the dancing art of Josephine Baker, and the heroes of comedy films led by Charlie Chaplin.
The premiere took place on February 11, 1928, at the National Theater in Brno. The premiere was conducted by František Neumann, with scenography by Otakar Zítek and choreography by Ivo Váňa-Psota. A collection of autographed incomplete sketches of the ballet is archived at the Czech Museum of Music in Prague.
Jaroslav Mihule, Martinů: Osud skladatele, Prague: Karolinum, 2002, p. 130–131.