Perhaps Schiller should get some credit for the Ode to Joy (An der Freude); a great German Romantic poet. That said, the Ninth is very moving and one of the great pieces of music if not the greatest. H. L. Mencken was also a great American thinkers. He won’t please the religionists, but when I read him I keep saying “oh yeah” to myself. They don’t make ‘em like that any more.
I’m not familiar with Schiller. I am not really a follower of music, but certainly the German culture has brought us some of the greatest music. Mencken himself was from German stock. His father owned a beer company in Baltimore, though H. L. never made it easy for himself. He worked like crazy — high energy guy.
Today’s pundits need to read Mencken so they will realize how boring their writing actually is!