Kovacevich approaches the pieces with deep respect, as he should; his technique is unobjectionable (in earlier recordings he sometimes seemed to bang in the forte passages), and this CD package has the great advantage of including all the late opus numbers (116 through 119; op. 76 and the two rhapsodies op. 79; too bad that the early "Edward" rhapsody was not also included). But I regret the lack of a wilder element in his playing. Why has no one brought out the complete Walter Gieseking recordings of these pieces? I have them on an old LP set. In my opinion, the best performances of late Brahms solo piano are those of Van Cliburn on his "The Brahms I Love" LP. What a pity he never recorded them (and so many other things) systematically. The other pianist who really feels the spirit of Brahms is Paul Ulanowsky, Lotte Lehmann's accompanist: just listen to his playing on her rendition of "Am Sonntag Morgen".