Composer Alf Clausen fired from The Simpsons

Simpsons fans will not be happy about this tonight:

‘Simpsons’ Composer Alf Clausen Fired | Variety

"Two-time Emmy winner Alf Clausen has been fired from The Simpsons after 27 years of providing music for Bart, Lisa, and company.
Clausen told Variety that he received a call from “Simpsons” producer Richard Sakai that the company was seeking “a different kind of music” and that he would no longer be scoring the longtime Fox hit.
A Fox spokeswoman declined to comment.

Clausen, whose Emmy record includes two wins (1997 and ’98) and another 21 nominations for “The Simpsons” dating back to 1992, has scored more than 560 episodes of the series, starting early in the 1990-91 season. He is believed to be the most-nominated composer in Emmy history, with a total of 30 nominations overall.

He has also won five Annie Awards, all for his “Simpsons” music. His long tenure with the series has made him one of the most respected creators of animation music in TV history.
Clausen’s last complete score for the series was for the season finale of Season 28, which aired in May. The season premiere is slated for Oct. 1, but it is not yet clear who will be scoring that episode.
Speculation about Clausen’s dismissal involves cost-cutting measures, which have been ongoing at “The Simpsons” in recent years, despite its massive profits for Fox and executive producer James L. Brooks’ Gracie Films.
Clausen uses a 35-piece orchestra every week — something that “Simpsons” creator Matt Groening insisted upon from the start of the show. Including costs of musicians, recording studios, and orchestration, expenses routinely run into the millions of dollars per year. Danny Elfman’s “Simpsons” theme is expected to be retained."

Update on Clausen's firing. Take it what you will.:

‘The Simpsons’ Producers Say Fired Composer Alf Clausen Will Have ‘Ongoing Role’ in Show | Variety

"Producers of “The Simpsons” are vowing that composer Alf Clausen will still play a role in the long-running Fox animated series despite having informed Clausen this week that he had been fired after 27 years.

“We tremendously value Alf Clausen’s contributions to ‘The Simpsons’ and he will continue to have an ongoing role in the show. We remain committed to the finest in music for ‘The Simpsons,’ absolutely including orchestral,” read a statement issued Thursday that was attributed to “the producers of ‘The Simpsons.’ ” “This is the part where we would make a joke but neither Alf’s work nor the music of ‘The Simpsons’ is treated as anything but seriously by us.”

Clausen’s unceremonious dismissal sparked outrage in Hollywood’s music and production circles on Wednesday after Variety broke the news. Clausen declined to comment on the statement. Nor were Fox reps available to elaborate on the reversal of Clausen’s status on the show, which hails from the 20th Century Fox TV unit.
Under Clausen’s baton, “The Simpsons” has long been one of only a handful of primetime TV series to still engage a live orchestra for recording the score of each episode. With Clausen’s ouster, the expectation was that the show would shift to a less expensive means of scoring.

“The Simpsons” is set to begin its 29th season on Oct. 1. Clausen’s last score for the show was featured in the season 28 finale that aired in May."

All I know is that The Simpsons are no longer The Simpsons... they're a cash cow that won't cancel!