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[drdoolittle]

Middlemarch is a chunk so it'll take you some time to read.
If you like mystery, you could give Wilkie Collins a go.

I would second the recommendation of Wilkie Collins: The Moonstone and The Woman in White are both fantastic and very engaging.  Middlemarch is brilliant and, yes, it will take you a while to get through it, but it's a must read if you're wanting to immerse yourself in writing from the period.  Also, Vanity Fair might be an option.  Obviously, I'm only naming English-language writers, which doesn't quite fulfill your request.  Sorry. 

[deleteplease]

As a musician, perhaps you'd enjoy Mrs. Humphry Ward's Robert Elsmere.

[lenniel]

I'm a musicologist as well, and though my areas of interest are a bit earlier, I can attest that there are some wonderful translations of George Sand's novels available and have read two excellent biographies.  In addition, there is a nice collection of her correspondence with Flaubert.  She does not specifically discuss music, but she wrote some of her best stuff during the time she was with Chopin. (as did he, really)  "Mauprat" is on of my faves (and quoted beautifully in the movie "Impromptu") as is her early novel "Valentine".

Dr. Faustus is an excellent recommendation - Thomas Mann was fascinated with Wagner.

One thing you may consider is how music is used symbolically in 19th century literature, such as in Louise May Alcott's novels, and who is performing and why.  I've done some iconographic work related to the symbolic nature of music in earlier sources, particularly social constructs of "good" vs "bad" music, and you can see that play out in a lot of novels, sub rosa.

There is a new collection of music essays by Edward Said that I just finished where he takes a literary approach to music and music criticism that is wonderful.  Throughout the essays, he touches on Mann, Wagner, Mahler and Strauss and the late Romantic era in both music and literature.  A great read - called "Music at the Limits", published in 2008.

I've not read a number of the books mentioned here, so these suggestions are very exciting!