I've Got You Under My Skin: Full Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Conductor scores and parts at Grade 4 that feature standard repertoire can feel generic, but Mike Lewis's arrangement of this Porter standard has real character. The prominent bass clarinet writing gives you a chance to showcase a section that often plays a supporting role, and that "fascinating whisper" ending suggests an arranger who understood how to bring theatrical sophistication to orchestra seating. This is the kind of piece that reminds audiences why the Great American Songbook matters.

"I've Got You Under My Skin" carries the sophistication and romantic swagger of a 1930s musical film. The melody glides with an easy confidence, the harmonies hint at subtle jazz coloring, and the orchestration by Lewis likely respects the song's theatrical origins while expanding it for larger forces. There's elegance here, touched with genuine wit.

Orchestras and conductor programs looking to program accessible, engaging American popular standards that still offer musical substance. This works equally well for advanced high school orchestras seeking confident repertoire and college programs wanting to include jazz-inflected American music in a classical context.

• Balance the bass clarinet solo prominently enough that audiences hear it as a featured voice, not accompaniment. This part earned its place in the arrangement and deserves clear projection.
• Shape the melody with the natural phrasing of a jazz vocalist. Porter's melodies beg for rubato and expressive playing, even in a full orchestra context.
• Work the final "whisper" section carefully in rehearsal. Achieving control at very soft dynamics with full orchestration requires precision; conduct clearly and insist on listening to balance rather than playing from memory.

Pair this with other American Songbook standards, or use it as a palate cleanser between heavier 20th-century works and classical repertoire. The piece's theatrical ancestry and recognizable melody make it an ideal bridge piece for audiences less familiar with concert music, and its sophistication rewards serious musicians. Consider programming it on a pops concert or a concert celebrating American composition.

• Ensemble balance and blend with mixed woodwind and brass textures
• Phrasing and shaping melodies in a jazz-influenced idiom
• Control and precision in very soft dynamics (whisper-level playing)
• Bass clarinet independence as a feature voice rather than harmonic support
• Flexibility between strict time and expressive, rubato-like phrasing