Current Events > 'The Simpsons composer Alf Clausen fired after 27 years

(+) Yeah! (+)

http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/simpsons-composer-alf-clausen-fired-1202543183/

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.
---

Disgusting.
---

Remember Alf?

He's back

In pog form
---

Scorsese2002 posted...

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

Fair, next.
---

I always like the music style the show had. I guess they'll be switching to midi keyboards.
---

DuranOfForcena posted...

the Simpsons needs to just die already

---

I'd be offended if not for the fact that I haven't watched a new Simpsons episode in about a decade.
---

fenderbender321 posted...

Budget cuts, most likely.

The music was the first thing to be cut back in the days of Warner Bros cartoons, which started a slow descent into that awful music you'd hear playing in the Roadrunner/Speedy cartoons.

It's like nobody ever learns how important music is to movies, TV, and video games.

This, good music can make even the shittiest of games and shows have some redeeming features, I mean look at Sonic and RWBY the nicest thing people can say about those is that they like some of the music.
---

Yeah it's a cost issue.

I remember the Family Guy creators talking about how much of the budget goes to the orchestra because Seth McFarlane has a big stiffy for it and gags involving music.
---

Reminds me of when that episode in the golden years that had cheap voice knockoff actors in the main cast.

I'm okay with this because the music has been blah for the past few seasons. I re-watched the last few seasons and found it to be kind of annoying and ill-fitting. This is all winding down to the end, anyway.
---

i wish the entire series would just get fired. I haven't watched it in over a decade and i just want to see what they do for a Finale...Its had its run. Time to let it go.

So they'll be saving money yet I'm sure they'll get into yet ANOTHER situation where they don't want to pay the voice actors.

I had no idea they used a 30-piece orchestra for each individual episode. It always sounded like the same small collection of theme music to me >_>

And while this is a shame, it's also pretty understandable from a cost perspective
---

__aCEr__ posted...

So they'll be saving money yet I'm sure they'll get into yet ANOTHER situation where they don't want to pay the voice actors.

The ratings are falling and getting worse with each season, so money for the actors is definitely going to be an issue.
---

And while this is a shame, it's also pretty understandable from a cost perspective

The people at the top aren't cutting back at all. But good job sticking it to the people who really deserve to be fired...
---

was he from melmac?
---

"Oh noez our show which makes millions in profit every week isn't making enough money because the music costs a few million every year"
---

fenderbender321 posted...

Budget cuts, most likely.

The music was the first thing to be cut back in the days of Warner Bros cartoons, which started a slow descent into that awful music you'd hear playing in the Roadrunner/Speedy cartoons.

It's like nobody ever learns how important music is to movies, TV, and video games.

I agree

Its one of the big reasons why Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs were such huge successes and which honestly helped bring in a new generation of cartoons for awhile
---

K181 posted...

I'd be offended if not for the fact that I haven't watched a new Simpsons episode in about a decade.

---

The music has sucked in the Simpsons for a long time. American Dad has the best and everything else is in between.
---

Doom_Art posted...

Remember Alf?
He's back
In pog form

Actually he's just straight up back, on MEtv.
---