At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the guitar had entered one of its periodic retirements into obscurity. Though its sound is often echoed in Spanish music of the time, its status as a classical instrument was practically non-existent, even in Spain. Many of Tárrega's 76 original works and 141 transcriptions were affected by this decline, almost seeming like lightweight pieces more at home in the café than the salon. The twentieth-century revival of popular interest in the instrument has given them a second chance of being heard, and Capricho árabe is worth savoring for its grace and innocent charm.

In most respects, this is a "picture postcard" view of a time when southern Spain was occupied by Moorish invaders between the eighth and fifteenth centuries. It also displays the contribution Tárrega made to advanced guitar technique by using sinuous melodic lines, harmonics, and brilliant passages that display the virtuosic as well as the romantic nature of the instrument. The nostalgic delicacy of the Caprice and the better-known Recuerdos de la Alhambra, with their flavor of gypsy Flamenco, make them perennial favorites among guitarists.

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