Well, Summertime from Porgy and Bess is a natural if you're looking for roles
that would automatically be performed by an African American. But why limit
yourself in that way? Leontyne Price and Kathleen Battle certainly performed
all sorts of roles that may not have originally been intended for a person of
color, but we're all glad that they did!
If you're looking for arias for auditions, I'd recommend Quando m'en vo
(Musetta's Waltz)--it's got a lot of personality, it's tuneful and everyone
loves it. It's also short, which is a plus, and often auditioners prefer to
hear something familiar as opposed to obscure arias.
Other candidates might include:
Mein Herr Marquis from Die Fledermaus
Batti, batti or Vedrai, carino from Don Giovanni
Juliette's Waltz
the Gavotte from Manon (Massenet)
Caro Nome from Rigoletto
Saper vorreste from Un Ballo in Maschera
Norina's aria from Don Pasquale
Somewhat less familiar (but not obscure):
Nanetta's aria from Falstaff
Zeffiretti lusinghieri (Ilia's aria from Idomeneo)
Dearest Mama from Baby Doe
O quante volte from I Capuletti i Montecchi
You might also take a look at some baroque arias, or Purcell (Hark, the
Echoing Air comes to mind)
Have fun!
Judy
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