Chains and manacles are a feature of many operas – usually when characters are being impeded in their freedom of movement or languishing in some dungeon or other. In NABUCCO the crazed eponymous hero is fettered to a wooden chest with chains around his arms and neck. Mad as he is, he’s straining at his bonds and our task is to make it audible but not so loud that it spoils the music. So we use chains made of plastic except for the last link that’s trailing on the ground, which is made of metal so that it clinks a little. We had to paint the synthetic section of the chain, because the composite material creates a very dull visual impression. We created gleam and shadow on each separate link to make it look like real metal. The ring around Nabucco’s throat is not of real iron – that would be too heavy and uncomfortable for the singer. We made it of tin, which is kinder on the neck and easier to modify to fit different sized necks.

Nabucco in Chains © Bettina Stöß