Out of a set of 3 nocturnes composed by Frédéric Chopin, this is a considerably popular piece. I grew up playing the piano with heavy exposure to Chopin. Most of his work is exclusive for the piano, and I love his waltzes, nocturnes and études. I've always loved this piece but didn't get the chance to learn it. I was reacquainted with it when Chinese classical pianist Yundi Li performed it in the 2000 International Chopin Piano Competition. The melancholic beauty hit me pretty hard and brought me back to my early years of intense classical music playing. And he won first place.
Not long after I started working, piano was one of the first things I bought. I knew I had to get hold of the score, and I did. I can never understand why I had a particular soft spot for this piece, and it gives me great pleasure playing it every time.
