As many may know, Tárrega was both an accomplished pianist and guitarist, but was convinced by his composition teacher at the Madrid Conservatory to focus on guitar as an instrument for performance. But Tárrega also turned his attention to it for compositional purposes as well, producing nearly 80 original works and numerous transcriptions of piano pieces by Beethoven, Albéniz, Granados, and Chopin. In light of his interest in piano music and especially in the works of the last-named composer, it is hardly surprising that Tárrega would write these delightful and popular mazurkas.

The first of the four is "Adelita," an elegant piece with typical Spanish flavor. The memorable main theme is sensuous and nocturnal, lingering in the ear and mind after but one or two hearings. The alternate material is not as interesting, but the outer sections featuring the main melody make this work unusually attractive. The second mazurka is the "Mazurka en sol," the longest and most complex thematically, though its music is still rather direct. The main theme is angular and long-breathed, featuring much color and rich atmosphere. The middle section is intimate and somewhat darker. On the whole, this may be the best of the four pieces, even if its artistic worth is initially less obvious.

"Marieta" is the third of the mazurkas here. It features a simple and familiar-sounding theme whose dark mood is contrasted nicely with brighter secondary material. The C major "Sueño" is the last of the four mazurkas. It is a lively, sunny piece whose vivacious main theme has an arch-like design, rising jubilantly and falling with nonchalant grace. The contrasting alternate theme, once again, is not as appealing. The first, second, and fourth of these mazurkas have achieved considerable popularity with both guitarists and public alike. Each has received numerous recordings.

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