Moshammer Memories

The producers call the story of the man called "Mosi," which depicts Moshammer's glittery rise to the top of Munich society and his subsequent murder at the hands of a male prostitute, a modern day fable about consumerism, the media and the price of fame.

Others may call it pandering.

Either way, turning the story of the eccentric fashion designer into an opera was a sure-fire recipe for publicity.

And your little dog Daisy, too

The murder Moshammer -- a Liberace-esque figure who was never seen without his tiny Yorkshire Terrier, Daisy, in his arms -- in January 2005, dominated headlines for weeks.

Herisch A., an Iraqi asylum seeker whom Moshammer had picked up on the street, strangled the designer with a telephone cable in a dispute over payment for sex. The killer was sentenced to life in prison.

Now, the tawdry tale has been set to music by Dutch composer Bruno Nelissen and librettist Ralph Hammerthaler. "Moshammeroper" opens at the Neuköllner Opera House on Aug. 23.

Tale of the times

"The material was lying there on the street, crying out to be formed," Hammerthaler told the Tagesspiegel newspaper.

He worked for over a year and a half on the opera, reading Moshammer's books "Mama and Me," about the Munich star's close relationship with his mother, and "I, Daisy: Confessions of a Lady Dog," about the beloved pooch, as well as biographies.

"The Moshammer phenomenon is symptomatic of our times," Hammerthaler told the paper. "It shows how a man without particular talent can turn himself into an artistic figure."

Anyone who thinks an opera about the media-hungry socialite is trash is dead wrong, director Robert Lehmeier insisted. He said the piece really explores how Moshammer used the media and vice versa, and the interplay between fame, the media, and consumers.

Pop culture under the microscope

"I could have told the whole story in five minutes, but that would have been too boring," Lehmeier told the Tagesspiegel. "It's about how everyone has a role, and the performance depends on everyone who plays along."

Pop culture and political topics are commonplace for the Neuköllner Opera House, which has previously staged an opera on Angela Merkel and made a musical about the Iraq war.

Robert Lehmeier will direct "Moshammeroper." Frank Zacher and Roland Vieweg are musical directors.