Update: Fox has told Gamespot that Clausen will not be leaving The Simpsons entirely in an official statement.
It reads:
"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. 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."
It's unclear what exactly Clausen's "ongoing role" will be, but at the very least he could still have some creative input on the direction of the music.
Original Story: The Simpsons is a rare breed. A TV show that has managed to stay on the air with the same network for almost 30 years running and many of its stars have kept their same roles through all that time. Unfortunately, long-time composer, Alf Clausen will no longer be a part of the show, as he was informed producer Richard Sakai that he had been relieved of his duties. He told Variety that the company was looking for "a different kind of music" going forward and that he would not be the one to score it.
A spokesperson for The Simpsons declined to comment on the 76-year-old Clausen's departure, and it's unclear if the show will retain the 35-piece orchestra that he used to create the music.
The move appears to be related to cost-cutting rather than on performance, and it's been well known that the show's music is one of the heavier costs on the show due to the previously mentioned 35-piece orchestra. Its use was something that series creator Matt Groening had insisted upon having from the outset of the show, but having weekly costs surrounding the musicians, recording studios, and orchestration easily pushed the budget into the millions annually.
The Simpsons is quietly one of the most impactful TV Shows of all-time, inspiring hordes of other animated comedies like Family Guy, King of the Hill, American Dad, Archer, Bob's Burgers, and even South Park. While its name doesn't carry quite the same weight that it used to, every show listed above owes a lot of their success to The Simpsons.
